[We are] struck down, but not destroyed.
—2 Corinthians 4:9
Life, like weather, is unpredictable.
Sunshine, blue sky, gentle breeze. Nice.
Then, boom! Clouds boil, wind blows, rain inundates. You’re suddenly in a teeth-jarring storm, a hurricane of disappointment and despair.
I’m guessing that the names of your storms look a lot like the apostle Paul’s: Afflicted. Perplexed. Persecuted. Struck down. Those are the adversities he listed in 2 Corinthians 4:8–9.
But with each, he added a qualifying phrase:
Afflicted—but not crushed.
Perplexed—but not driven to despair.
Persecuted—but not forsaken.
Struck down—but not destroyed.
Those qualifiers are for you too. Claim them, and you will be prepared when a storm strikes and safe when it passes.
Under God’s control, your storms
are never out of control.