So many times, life can shake us. Just like an earthquake can cause a building to collapse, the storms of life can shake us and cause our lives to collapse. When this happens, I have seen many people blame God,  forfeit their destiny and walk away from their God-given purpose.

At the beginning of 2012, I was standing in a church service during worship and I was having a moment with God. I was pouring my heart out to Him and complaining about how I thought things should be working out in my life. I felt that my husband and I had given up a lot to serve God and things weren’t quite going according to my plans. I actually said, “God, it isn’t fair.” And just then,  I remembered this verse found in Hebrews 12:27-28:

“… all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain… we are receiving a kingdom that is unshakable..”

What a verse right!? Gosh, I really felt like my life was being shaken and looking back now, I know that it was so that only unshakable things would remain. What about you? Have you ever told God “It’s not fair”? The storms of life can be devastating and can cause you to give up on God and walk away from the plan He has for you.

As I was going through this tough season, I came across some fascinating information about palm trees.  Do you know that palm trees can withstand the most violent of hurricanes? I saw photos of palm trees completely bent over in a storm, yet not snapped off, not broken at the root like all the other trees. Do you know why? I bet you never thought that fun facts about palm trees could change your life, but check this out!

  1. Palm trees bend but don’t break because their roots are as deep as the tree is tall.  I believe that the roots of our life need to anchored in God so that as we grow tall in our calling and purpose, we can bend in the storms of life instead of breaking.
  2. Palm trees grow from a central bud in the ground and as long as the bud stays intact, the tree can continue growing, regardless of how many leaves were removed during the storm. I don’t know what you may have lost in your life, but Jesus does. Maybe you feel like things have been stolen from you. I want to remind you that no matter what you have lost, you can keep growing, keep moving forward and keep going after God’s plan for you.
  3. Every storm strengthens the root system of the tree so that the palms grow taller after each storm. We can allow the storms of life to take us out, or we can use the storm to cause us to flourish and get stronger. Let’s decide to be unshakable together!

In the storms of life, God can feel far away. But I want to tell you that He’s there, He loves you and He never turns His back on you. He will pursue you and never give up on you no matter what you do, or how far you run.

If you would like to  know more about anchoring your life in Jesus Christ so that you can stand strong during the storms of life, please click on the pop up or link below. I am praying for you 🙂