our story and remind you we can be thankful when God calms the storm. We can also be thankful when the storms rage on. We're gonna give you a fast story of when the storm rages on, and that's in the life of Paul. Thank you, gentlemen, for getting that up for us. The idea is, as they're sailing, they start to sail under Crete. Why Cyprus? Because these islands that are there, because the winds are, in the term of the New Testament, contrary. When you have the idea of a contrary wind, it is not favorable for sailing at all. It either means that it's going the wrong direction, It means that it's too stiff. It rips the sails. All kinds of things can mean this idea of contrary. When he's saying that we cannot sail, literally they're starting out. We're not starting out too well. And as they begin this journey, this process, during the voyage, they would hit this thing that would be called the storm of storms. As it's developing, Paul mentions in verse 10 of Acts chapter 27, and he says unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only to the lading and the ship, but also our lives. Have you ever felt like that a storm that you see brewing has these words written all over it? I don't know how we're going to make it through. Now, if you're an Ohio State fan, I don't know how you're going to make it through. Somebody had to go there. Come on. Now, we Gators, we actually won last night. My brother Travis, I love you, man. We appreciate you. Thank you for Florida State handing one of the Gators right now. Trust me, these aren't storms that we would classify as major. Aren't you glad that peace and happiness has nothing to do with Bucks football, or Gators football, or Ohio State football, or Michigan football, or any football after that? I'm so glad that my eternal happiness has nothing to do with anything that this world holds dear. And Paul is saying, man, we're about ready to be in a storm that is so severe, I'm not sure how we're going to make it through it. We left you with a thought last week that God is present in the storm. And that's true. God is always present with us in these storms. As this passage continues to unfold, I want you to notice four different things in this passage, and we're gonna look at these same four things in the life of Joseph and of Mary. There is a tempest, if you look at verse 14 in Acts chapter 27, you're probably not there, you're in Mark chapter one, so don't turn to Acts, but it's called Urocliden. Eurocliden is a hurricane, a typhoon, a big mama, a whopper of a problem. That's what it's called. And so you've got this storm of storms that is beginning to brew and all the seas and seamen, they recognize this. And this hurricane, this storm, no one wants to be a part of the ocean when this thing passes over. And interestingly enough, that's the tempest. There is this tempest that is there. The timing of this storm, as you can see, that it will last literally for at least, what we can tell, 15 days. If you look at Acts 27 verse 27, he'll mention the 14th night. The storm is raging. He'll mention that when day is coming on, perhaps day 15. So maybe 15 days at least, it's important for us to see that this is unlike the storm that we looked at last week. The storm that we looked at was experienced for a couple of hours. Jesus is asleep. They wake him up. He stills the storm. They all marvel, and the journey continues. They land at the Gadarenes, and here comes one possessed by the Legion out of the tombs, and there they meet. The swine will inherit the demons, they'll run down the precipice, they'll get back in the ship, they'll go over back to the other side where they'll meet Jarius, and the woman with the disease of 12 years that'll touch the hem of her garment. That's Mark chapter 5. That storm only lasted a few hours. We like those kind of storms. It'll pop up, and in short order, they're done. But what happens when you're talking days of a storm called Euroclide? Those are the storms we don't want to talk about. Those are the storms that we don't want to endure. Those are the storms that we would rather not have cross our sea that we call life. And Paul is in the middle of this thing. Then there's the tragedy. The ship gets grounded. The ship is actually destroyed, but the triumph is that everybody lives. They've lost everything, but everyone lives and everyone is impacted. Why? Because the barbarians, if you look at Acts chapter 28, they'll actually take Paul in and those that are coming in off the shore on boards and on on anything they can grab a hold of, they'll light the fire reaching into the wood pile. What happens to Paul? He's bit by a... shakes it off into the fire and they're waiting. This man's a dead man. Does he die? Something is unique about this man. And even in the midst of the storm, what you're going to see is that God is going to work a triumph that we don't see looking in the midst of the waves. So here you have it, this storm, they happen in our life. Look back at Matthew chapter one, you're there, here's the first one. And that is the fact that we're reminded storms at Christmas time are often the worst, aren't they? I can be thankful when the storm rages on and God does not calm the storm. Let's look at the storm in Joseph's life. There is a storm that is brewing, that is happening in his life that we're going to be able to unfold. Remember, Joseph is living this in real color. He is not looking at it through the past pages of Matthew chapter 1. Joseph is living this as though you and I are living today. Look at what happens. The tempest is you have a reluctant not-the-father. A reluctant not-the-father. Man, I don't know. What is happening here? Now, the birth of Jesus was on this wise. Let me pause and say, with that line, it happened in time, on time, just exactly as God wanted it to happen. Christ was born exactly at the right time. Galatians 4, 4, and 5 tell us that. When the fullness of time was come, he was sent forth of a man, made under the law, made of a woman, made under the law, that we might be, what? that we might be saved, that we might inherit the adoption of sons, that we might be given eternal life. That is in time, and the timing happened, but this is how it happened. This is the story. Number one, there's a couple storms within the storm here. Here's storm number one, Mary is with child. This is a problem. This is a problem. When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they were come together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. So this is past tense. Mary is already expecting at this time. And I'm understanding that I as the betrothed, the espoused husband, I have a problem. This can't be. And has there ever been anything like this before? This is a problem, the fact that Mary is with child. Storm number two, Mary and Joseph were not married yet. They were betrothed, but they were not yet an official couple. And so they weren't acting like a normal married couple. They still had probably, there was some separation perhaps. There were things like that that was normal, customary things happening at that time. They weren't man and wife just yet. So you see the importance of storm number one. Marries with child, we're not married yet. Storm number three, there had never been such a pregnancy before. I'm not the father, somebody has to be. Because this is impossible. If there is not a physical dad, this is an impossibility. And so there's never been anything like this before. And so Joseph is wrestling through this Eurocliden, this storm of storms in his life. What now? he starts wrestling. In fact, he minds in his own mind that she will put her away privily, that is, quietly, being a just man, not willing to make her any type of a public spectacle, would just simply divorce her quietly. What now? Here's the thought. The timing. The hurting, not quite husband. The timing. I mean, the birth of Christ was on this wise, here's what's happening. We've got an unexpected pregnancy that I'm not the dad, and all of a sudden now I've got to figure out a way to handle this that doesn't make Mary look any worse than she already looks. Why now? Have you ever asked this in the middle of a storm? I mean, why couldn't it have waited three more months? Why now? You know, you have no control over storms that'll come across your path. You have no control. I don't have any control. We don't know what 2025 will hold for us as a body of believers. We know that 2024 was pretty rough. And yet 2024 Maybe rough 2025 might be calm seas for some of us. It might be Eurocliden for others. We have no idea what is going to behold the next year. But why now? Joseph is wrestling with this. He's also wrestling with why me? Of all people, why me? Why does it have to be me? You ever ask that? Why does this stuff always happen to me? Why am I always the benefactor of such wonderful happenings in life, right? Why Joseph? Joseph had every right to ask that kind of a question. And in no doubt, he was. But this means one thing. Why now? Why me? It means one thing. The timing is horrible because it only ends in divorce. So I will mind her to put her away privily because there's no other options. But isn't it wonderful that there's an angelic appearance? Right on time, God shows up with necessary information. Before he can act and act out this divorcement, guess what? The angel shows up and says, hey, now hold on a second there, Joseph. But he, while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take Mary to be thy wife, for that which is conceived of her is of the Holy Ghost. Joseph, Mary is not lying to you. She is telling you the truth. Do you like it when people lie to you? Truth has a way of establishing a protocol. For Joseph, in the middle of this storm, he's gonna start sensing the relief of this angelic appearance because he's realizing, number one, Mary is not lying. Mary has not been unfaithful. Mary is not an impure girl. No, this is what is just conceived within her is of the Holy Ghost. That divine message, and she shall bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus for a very specific reason. The angelic appearance ushers a divine message and he will save his people from their sins. Never in the world before has one been born to be so meaningful to every last one of us. Kids are important. Our grandkids, man, they are amazing little creatures. They're awesome. But no birth is like this one. No birth is like the one that has redemption written all over it. And Joseph is told the very meaning, this divine message. It was all part of God's glorious plan perfectly worked in the right time and in the right way. What does he say? Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and she shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us, that is out of Isaiah, Isaiah. 714, Isaiah 714. So if you write in your Bible, you could jot out there, you could write out Isaiah 714, because that which was spoken by the prophet, that is Isaiah, right? And so then you have this timing of this hurting, not quite husband, but there is a tragedy. What's the tragedy? The tragedy literally is the fact that he knew what would happen. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. For here's what he's gonna know. He's gonna end up knowing that how people would treat him and his espoused wife, Mary. He had already been contemplating divorce because these thoughts are already in his head. Nobody is gonna believe this. And I'm gonna be a spectacle for the foreseeable future. Do my parents believe me right away? Does other family members choose to believe me right away? We know already that in the life of Christ, his brothers didn't believe right away. And it was only until later in life, after the crucifixion, that some would come back and say, this man, my brother, he's alive. He must be telling the truth. So he knows what's going to happen. He knows the ridicule that is going to be happening to Mary. He knew how he would be misunderstood and misrepresented. There's going to be problems in society because of this. And I know how it's going to play out. This isn't going to be fun. I mean, I understand what's happening, but I also understand the storm over here in physical society life. This is not going to be easy for me. And there is this tragedy that's very here, but here's the idea that I don't want us to miss. He had to die to his own plans and grab God's right in the middle of the storm. Sometimes when we encounter the storms, we have to ditch our own plans, and aren't we in self-survival mode? And do the best we can to grab a hold of what God is doing in the middle of the storm. Because I serve a God that knows all about me, and the tempest is in His control, and the timing is also in His control. The tragedies, the outcomes, sometimes that's what I make of it in my own human reasoning. But Joseph comes to this place, then Joseph being raised from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and he took unto him his wife." He had to die to what he wanted, what he thought that things would be like, and grab a hold of God's plan because it was a total dichotomy of everything he thought would be normal. When God decides to rearrange your life through the course of a storm and everything is in complete turmoil, are you focusing on survival or are you focusing on the ramifications of me grabbing God's will and settling myself there or continuing to battle over here? This is where Joseph is. And he had to come to a place where he settles and grabs God's will, not his own. Then you see the triumph. You see the obedient servant. The obedient servant. For what does he say? He says, you know, I'll do it. Raised from sleep, he did as the angel had bidden him and took unto him his wife. Notice these thoughts. He was obedient to God's Word. The very thing that came out of the mouth of God for his life in that moment, Joseph obeyed it. The storm is raging and yet we find him obedient. Yet we find him accepting God's word as his new assignment. Do you like accepting something new? Are you a creature of habit? How many of you are creatures of habit? I hate change. How many of you love change? I'm Mr. Adventure, I don't care about change. A couple of you. Yeah, I'm kind of that way. Mrs. P, my wife, she's the opposite. I mean, it's... Me, I'm like, hey, you know, great, hurricanes, this is great. This is gonna be awesome. I might lose everything, but this is gonna be great. I mean, I'm not that bad, but it's like change doesn't bother me like it does my wife. Joseph has been wracked with a total change of plans for his life, and he accepts his new assignment with an obedient heart. He acts immediately. In the middle of a storm, do you find it easy to embrace what God has for you and then act immediately upon it, or do you put it off? He takes Mary, his wife, and he follows through and is faithful to the very will of God. And he says, I'm taking a back seat until God's plan is worked out. And there will come a day when Mary will be with child great and they will lay him in that manger and they will see for the very first time God's face made man. Isn't that awesome? There is a triumph that we see coming out of this storm. How about Mary? Go to Luke chapter one. Luke chapter one. This is the other side of the story. Luke chapter one. And when you get to Luke chapter one, look at verse 28. And there it says, and the angel came unto her, verse 26, and in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin, a spouse to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. Twice in this verse, in verse 27, you're gonna find that Mary is called a virgin. If Jesus Christ is not virgin born, He is not our Savior. If Jesus Christ is only another man, He can do nothing for us spiritually. And so this is important for us to see that right away, before Mary even opens her mouth for the first time, God is unveiling a plan and he's very clear that that which will be conceived in Mary is not human only, it is by the Holy Ghost. Here is a pure girl that is walking out life, but there is a tempest nonetheless. This is her side of it. Mary will have a child. Me? Yeah. Mary, you're going to have a child and that which is going to be conceived in you is going to be of the Holy Ghost. But I'm not married yet. I'm not officially married yet. How can this be? That's what she's saying. Storm number three, there had never been such a pregnancy before. You see the two storms coming together. Joseph is on the other side of town and Mary is over here. I like to think that these things are happening Simultaneously, but I know they probably didn't. Because she hears about it, goes and tells Joseph, and now he's wrestling. And Mary's saying, there's never been such a pregnancy like this before. They're not going to believe me. What now? What now? You ever been in a storm where you're just asking the question, I don't know which way is up, and God, I am drowning. And I don't know which way to turn and I don't know but what now? Look at the hurting not yet wife. This is the timing. We ask the same questions. Why now? Why couldn't it be three months from now? Why now? Or better yet, why Mary? Before we ask why Joseph, now why Mary? Ask yourself, why you? Why now? God knows all about it. You have an angelic appearance. Same thing is happening. Gabriel, this time it's Gabriel. We don't know who it was that spoke to Joseph because it's not named. That angel of the Lord is not named. But this angel, the angel Gabriel comes, and he says, and he says, Hail, thou art highly favored. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at the saying. This whole thing, Gabriel shows up. You know, there's all kinds of times in scripture where Gabriel shows up. When Gabriel shows up, there is big things happening. This situation is no different. I wonder if she knew it was Gabriel by sight. If God gave her that. And she remembers for the remainder of her years the sight of Gabriel, how he looked, the sound of his voice, and knowing that as she one day would then face death herself, that I'll see him again too as well as my Lord. And I'll say, remember that time you came and you told me that story, my future, and you told me what would befall me? And you invited this storm into my life. Gabriel, you know what? I've never forgotten that. And I loved the camaraderie, the talk maybe about that in eternity as they're living it even now. But this angelic appearance, she's wrestling with this thing and the angel spoke highly of her and marked this down, not because there was anything intrinsically valuable about Mary, but because that's what God thought of her. I'm gonna use you, Mary. There's a vessel, and if I'm looking for someone to use, someone that I know I can send a massive storm across your path, you will come through on the other side. I know it. Because I know you, Mary. And if there's someone that I wanna choose to use, I'm gonna stop and choose you. If it meant a storm and God knew it, would you be willing to endure it knowing your God? And knowing that He would see you through it? Doesn't make the storm any easier. Doesn't make the processes any easier. But God says, hey, you are highly favored, not because I, Gabriel, am telling you this, but because that's how He thinks of you. angelic appearance, this means one thing, an untimely pregnancy. For Joseph, it meant divorce. For Mary, it meant an untimely pregnancy. It was not in due course. And we have a problem. We have an interesting thing that's happening here. But then, you see a divine message. Gabriel is not done. Gabriel is not done. If you look in verse 32, and he shall be great, that thing, verse 31, that life, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus. Misunderstand this not, when Luke wrote and Matthew wrote, they both said you'll call his name Jesus. Why, because the author of the message was the same. Interesting enough, and he shall be great and he shall be called the son of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there shall be no end. What do we see in this message? Number one, Christ's deity is announced. Christ's deity is announced. He is the Son of the Highest. He will be given the throne of His Father, David. He shall reign over the house of Jacob. His kingdom will have no end. He is the Son of God. That which is born of you, Mary, is the eternal Son of God. 100% man. 100% God. Why? Because we'll see His humanity is acclaimed. They will announce His deity. This is who He is. This is God made flesh. But then also He is 100% man. Hey, guess what? How do we know this? Because in John 4, 6, he was weary. In Matthew 4, 2, he was hungry. John 19, he was thirsty. He was sleeping in Matthew chapter 8, as well as in our passage from last week. He was tempted in Hebrews chapter 2, yet without sin. As much as he was human, he was divine God all at the same time. Again, if he ceased to be God, he would be of no value to us any more than any one of us could save each other. but yet he was 100% God and 100% man. So when he died on that cross, he physically died. And as we read in 1 Corinthians 15, he was buried and he rose again all according to the scriptures. It is how it had to be. God, his humanity is acclaimed, his deity is announced, and God's will is accentuated. Look at verse 37. And for nothing is impossible with God. With God, in His perfect timing, nothing is impossible. An impossible pregnancy, absolutely no problem for God. the ability to save us from our sins and grant us eternal life and wash away all of our sins and put all of our sins upon His Son, done in the power of God. Raise Himself physically from the tomb, conquering sin, death, and hell, it's within the power of God. Dwelling in eternity, having us with Him for all eternity, it is within His power to do all of it. So when I look at my life and I start asking the why now, the timing, and I start looking at what God is doing, I can't get lost in the storm without seeing the will of my Savior. Because it's going to exist in all of it. God's will is accentuated. Here's the tragedy. The fact-facing woman. Look at verse 34. How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? I have no idea what you're going to do. But what do I know? She says, I know what's going to happen. I know what's going to happen. Just like we spoke of Joseph, I know exactly what's going to happen. She knows that the people are going to misunderstand this pregnancy. There's absolutely positively no way that I can be the size of a house walking around the city and people not start looking at Joseph saying, We've got a problem here. She's already very much aware of this misunderstanding. She knew that she had to die to her own desires, her own future, and grab God's plan and His will for her. And we see it. as it's unfolding. She's in the middle of all this. Remember, just like Joseph, she is living this thing in living color. And she sees it, but then you see the triumph, the submissive heart. Look at verse 38. For with God, nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, behold, the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word. Where Joseph was obedient, and he takes up after rising up, and he takes unto him Mary, his wife, you see Mary on the other side of town, embracing with submission the very will of God. She questioned. How is this possible? But she never resisted God's plan. When you're in the middle of a storm and it's raging, do you find yourself becoming resistant to God's plan? We don't see that for Mary or for Joseph. As you watch this thing unfold, she accepted God's Word as her new assignment. My role is to bear Jesus Christ the Son of God. and I will accept it, I will embrace it. This new assignment, this walking down the aisle and having a ceremony of sorts as they would in the Jewish community, and then growing up as a couple, and then finally welcoming our first kid into our home, and then another, and then another as God would see fit, and growing old together in a perfect little house with a white picket fence and a front porch with rocking chairs, all of that is now thrown to the wind. And she will accept God's plan in the midst of this turmoil, this storm that is in the life of Mary. She acts immediately. Praise fills her mouth and her heart. Yeah, just make that a T in your mind's eye. And Mary arose in those days and went into the hill, and she started entering, and as you read through it, what does she say? My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in my God, my Savior. You know what? Here's the important thing about that. As praise begins to usher forth, she didn't miss the very fact that she herself stood in need of a Savior. Look at verse 47. hath rejoiced in God my what?" You can say all the Hail Marys you want, they're not going to get you to heaven. You can say all the prayers you want to this person, this visage of a woman, but that woman was nothing more than a submissive servant. that said, God, this is not going to be fun. I am not going to enjoy aspects of this storm, but I will walk through it day by day by day because I'm challenged by your goodness and your grace in my life, and I need Him too. So I'm going to give birth to this Christ child who will one day take away my sin, just like the sin of everybody else. If you are relying on Mary to help you to get to heaven today, you are, of most people, most miserable. Because she can't do a thing for you. It's only Him. And it'll always only be Him. And so that's what's magnificent about this storm. But lastly, she was faithful to God's will. faithful to God's will. She knew that she needed her Savior and she willingly fulfilled her role as a servant. So let's start concluding our thoughts. Let's wrap this up today. Life in a continued storm. What do I do when the storm rages on? A couple thoughts to think about Mary and Joseph. Number one is this. Mary and Joseph would have to raise the Son of God. You ever thought about that? You raise the perfect son. You say, I would gladly do it. Oh my word, I'd gladly raise a perfect kid, right? But they had to raise this son. If you look over at Luke chapter two, verse 40 is there. And you're gonna read, and the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. Look at verse 52, and Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God. And man, they are literally watching God's son grow before their very eyes. Sometimes parenting goes by just like that. And at other times, man, I hope we make this. I hope we make this. And usually it's our sons that are gonna be the reason for that, but not making it, right? But the reality of it is, here he is, they're watching the very son of God grow up. They had to raise him and then incorporate that into the family of other brothers and sisters. Could you imagine growing up in that home? Of course he didn't do it. I mean, you know, there's all those little dynamics. You know, the storm for mom and dad. Well, yeah, probably blame Jesus. We know he didn't do it. You know, all these things, the sibling rivalry. I guarantee you it existed. You know why? Because remember, James didn't accept right away. There was probably a lot of hurt and heartache and bitterness and anger, all because of the fact it's never his fault, it's always mine. Imagine the storm that he had. But did God bring him through it? Here's another one. Mary and Joseph would misunderstand him from time to time. Still in Luke chapter 2, when he was 12 years old, he went to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast and when they had fulfilled the days, they returned and to Christ Jesus, he carried in Jerusalem. And now he's MIA. He's missing. Now what are we gonna do? We're asked to raise the Son of God and now we've lost Him. Can you imagine that storm? Do you ever lose your kids? We did Abbey at Busch Gardens one day. The Martinez's, they were there that day. Talk about panic. We turn around and she's gone. We found her, she had no idea, but she's screaming at this point, because I think as I remember the story right, she realized, oh yeah, hey Dad, isn't this, I mean, they're just screaming and hollering, don't listen to that. I mean, we finally found her, but it was unbelievable, that panic. Okay, we can't find Jesus. Where is he? And they misunderstood the fact that, don't you understand that I should be about my father's business? There were times in this storm called life that happened 12 years ago. It's still raging. They're gonna misunderstand him from time to time. The storm would not just last a night, it would not last a day, or even 15 days, it would last a lifetime. Some storms, folks, are gonna last your entire life. God knows that. And He's purposefully and perfectly planned it according to His will for us. Mary and Joseph, boy, look at this. The next thought. Number four, this storm would usher forth the glorious hope of redemption and forgiveness and eternal life. Let me combine points three and four and give it to you this way. Joseph would die before Jesus would go to the cross. Jesus would suffer that storm. Have you lost a parent? Christ has been there. It wasn't his physical father But he loved him just the same as one. Mary would watch her son as he was hailed as a king, only to be rejected days later. She would watch as he was beaten beyond recognition. The heart of a mom, talk about a storm. She would watch as he was forced to carry his cross up a road and fall beneath its weight, never making it. wanting so desperately to run out there and console Him and help Him get up and say, do you people know what you're doing? She would watch as He would be nailed to an old rugged cross, groaning and gasping for breath, fighting for life. yet giving his life. She would watch it. As her heart begins to break, his body racked with pain, she would watch him as he would look up into heaven, as blood and spit fly from his mouth, as he says, it is finished, and he bows his head. She would watch as he would give his life. Nobody killed him, he gave his life, and would give his life a ransom for many. She would watch all of it. and her mother's heart is breaking. This is my son. Have you ever wondered why Mary never said a word through that whole process? Mary understood the storm. You're falling beneath that load because I need that. You're crucified on a cross and you're letting nails be driven into your hands and feet and a crown of thorns crushed upon your head because I need that. I will watch as you will cry out, my God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? And I know why, because I need that. And I'll watch as they take your lifeless body off the cross and lay it in a tomb. Have you ever lost a child? See Mary's heartbreaking, the storm that started years before, she is still living it at this moment. Some storms don't go away right away. And we see it so clear in the Christmas story. And yet we don't put two and two together. What these people went through was a God-ordained, perfectly planned storm that had you on his mind as well. Isn't that one wonderful thought? Here's some thoughts as we close. Living in a life of continuous storms today, number one, I must recognize that God is asking for me to reflect His glory. When the storms rage, God will get the glory all the time. No matter what I'm facing, I ought to be deflecting the glory to God. I ought to be reflecting it all the way back to Him because He planned it, He's purposeful in it, and it's exactly what He wants it to be. And so therefore, I can reflect God's glory right back to Himself. He must always have first claim in my life. You know what first claim is? That God has the first rights to everything you do. Does this please Him? Does this not please Him? Does this honor Him? Does this dishonor Him? Does this lift Him high? Or does this abase Him? What does this Word, this attitude, this thought, all these things of the storm going around in my heart, how am I reacting to it? Is He getting the glory? Does He have first claim? When any storm God decides to send across my path, and I don't know what the next years hold for me either, It could be good, could be bad, I don't have any idea. But God knows, you got first claim and you do with my life what you want with it. I can encounter any storm if my perspective is reflecting God's glory. And His glory and my good are always His highest purpose. Mary, I need you. There's no substitutes here. Mary, I need you to walk out this life. Joseph, I need you to walk out this life. There are no substitutes here. There's no game stoppage. You're gonna walk it out. but my glory and your good are always my highest priority. Any storm we will enter encounter will always have God's grace and his glory, my good, as his highest purpose. Number two, I must recognize that God is asking me to recognize that God is asking me, a little bit wordy there, I think I have it better on your outline, to rely on his goodness. Rely on his goodness. Not only reflect the glory to Him, but rely on His goodness in the middle of the storm. Is your God good? Yes or no? Is He always good? 100% of the time. So He's not only asking you to reflect His glory, He's also asking you, rely on My goodness. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. I have you. I have redeemed you. I have bought you with My blood. And you are precious to Me. Rely on My goodness. He is a good God. Everything that God does is good. Including the harsh storms. Everything. Everything God does is good. God will not guide where he will not provide. The valleys that we will encounter in our life, guess what? He is with us in the valley as well as on the mountaintop. And there is no storm that we will ever experience that God will not guide us through, that he will not provide exactly what we need in it because he is that good of a God. And all the while, it's reflecting His glory. Number three, lastly, I must recognize that God is asking me to remember His grace. I don't deserve this good life. It might not be easy, but look what the other side has if I reject the Lord. So as I reflect His goodness and His glory and I rely on His goodness, I can remember the very grace of God in my life. You wanna make it through your storms, here's how you do it. Reflect His glory, rely on His goodness, and remember His grace. Couple points and we'll let you have it. There's always a reason for the storm for me. And there's also a reason in the storm for others. Whether it's Mary and Joseph, or whether it's Paul in Acts chapter 27, there's always other people. It could be a storm that'll last a day, it could be a storm that could last a lifetime. God always has something good in it for me, and he's working his goodness, his grace, and his glory in the life of others all at the same time. Did Mary have a storm? She certainly did. Did Joseph have a storm? They most certainly had a storm going on together. And look at what God did through the midst of it. When you're in the middle of your storm, let us remember we serve a good God, we serve a great God, and he never makes a mistake, even in the storms.