Lifted by the Storm

by Nohemie Brevil

“The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.” (Genesis 7:17 ESV)

Key Truth: The same waters that destroyed the earth lifted the ark to safety. What feels like disaster can become, in God’s hands, the very thing that carries us to deliverance.

When we think of storms, we usually think of fear, loss, and chaos. In Genesis, the flood was an act of God’s judgment and brought great destruction. Yet something remarkable happens: the same waters that covered the earth lifted the ark and carried it safely above the chaos. What brought destruction everywhere else became God’s means of protection for Noah, his family, and every living creature with them.

God did not stop the storm right away. Instead, the rising waters lifted the ark higher and higher, far above what was happening below. Noah’s safety did not come from calm circumstances, but from obedience to God and trust in His provision.

This truth speaks deeply into my own life.

When my father’s health declined, the prolonged illness brought unexpected strain to our family. Watching someone you love suffer is difficult, and people process grief differently—some with acceptance, others with resistance. The uncertainty felt overwhelming.

Yet in the middle of that difficult season, God granted us a precious gift: the opportunity to talk with my dad about his faith in Christ. For years, I had carried this as a quiet prayer burden—wanting certainty of his salvation and the hope of eternal life. I longed to address it but never found the courage or right moment.

God, in His sovereignty and perfect timing, provided that moment. We talked openly about his relationship with Christ, and the peace that followed was profound. That conversation didn’t remove the difficulty, but it lifted me above it. Where there had been anxiety, God gave peace. Where there had been fear, He gave hope.

I came to see my father’s passing not as tragedy, but as a homecoming—a transition from suffering to the presence of the Lord. God used the storm of grief to draw me closer to Him and reveal His faithfulness. He answered my deepest prayer, just not in the way or timing I expected.

The waters of loss didn’t destroy me. They lifted me higher in faith and anchored me in a hope I now cling to for my own life: the assurance that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

God never forgot Noah—not during the rain, not in the waiting, and not in the silence. Scripture confirms this truth: “But God remembered Noah… and God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.” (Genesis 8:1 ESV)

The same God who controls the waters also commands the wind. He will not forget you or me. His deliverance always comes at the right time. Until then, we are safe in His hands.

Prayer

Dear Lord, teach me to wait patiently and rest in Your peace, even in the storm. Help me believe that the waters around me are not meant to destroy me, but to lift me higher and draw me closer to Your heart. Thank You for never forgetting Your children. I trust that You who lifted the ark will bring deliverance in my life. I am safe in Your loving arms. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection

What storm in your life might God be using to lift you higher in faith and deeper dependence on Him?