Not Every Storm Is the Same: Learning to Discern the One You're In

Storms are inevitable.
We all face them.

But not all storms are created equal, and not all of them require the same response.

Sometimes we’re quick to quote Jesus sleeping in the boat, or Paul prophetic discernment sparing life in the midst of a shipwreck, or Noah surviving divine judgment. But if we’re not careful, we can pull one story out of context and try to build a theology that doesn’t fit our reality.

Scripture gives us a variety of storm stories, and when we look at them side-by-side, we begin to see that storms serve different purposes depending on the narrative. The key is not simply to endure the storm, it’s to discern it.

Jonah: A Storm Caused by Disobedience

Jonah was running from God.
He had an assignment, and he didn’t want it.
So he fled. And a storm came.

Ironically, he was asleep in the belly of the boat while everyone else was panicking. His storm was self-inflicted, the result of disobedience, and yet he had the audacity to rest through it.

Sometimes, we might be tempted to “sleep it off” during disobedience, numbing ourselves to God’s pursuit. But in storms like this, the correct response isn’t rest, it’s repentance.

Jesus: A Storm on the Way to Fulfill Purpose

Then we have Jesus, also asleep in a storm.
But this was different.

He and His disciples were on assignment. No one was running. No one was rebelling. And yet, the waves crashed. The wind howled.

Jesus, unbothered, rebuked the storm with authority.

Here’s the difference: He was resting, not in rebellion, but in perfect peace.
When your life is aligned with God’s purpose, storms aren’t always evidence of failure, they’re often proof that you’re headed in the right direction.

The Disciples: A Storm While Following Jesus' Orders

 In another storm, Jesus wasn’t in the boat. The disciples were rowing in obedience to His instructions. He had told them to cross the lake and the storm came anyway. And then Jesus came to them walking on the water.

They were on assignment. They were obedient. Yet they were overwhelmed until Jesus showed up.

This storm teaches us that obedience doesn’t exempt us from opposition, but it does guarantee divine intervention.

Paul: A Prisoner in a Storm

Paul’s storm came while he was a prisoner. He wasn’t running, he was being held.
But even in chains, Paul heard from God and provided guidance for others. No lives were lost.

This storm wasn’t about Paul’s mistakes or even his choices. It was about God moving through Paul despite the chains.

And Paul didn’t blame Rome. He didn’t curse the storm. He simply operated in the authority of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Noah: A Storm of Global Proportions, but Protection in Obedience

Noah’s storm was judgment over the earth, but it was also provision for the righteous.

Noah obeyed long before the rain came. And when the floods rose, he was sealed in protection.

Don’t Just See the Storm. Discern It.

Here’s the point:
You can’t define your storm by what it looks like you must discern why it’s happening.

• If you’re in disobedience like Jonah, the storm is a call to repentance.
• If you’re aligned with God’s purpose, the storm may be an opportunity for God to display His peace and power.
• If you’re walking in obedience like the disciples, the storm is not the end, it’s the setting for a miracle.
• If you feel trapped like Paul, remember that you may be bound, but the Kingdom within you is not.
• And if you’re like Noah, trust that obedience prepares you for what others don’t see coming.

The Bigger Story

Don’t isolate your storm.
Stay in the big story—God’s story.

Don’t build your theology around one experience. Don’t sleep in rebellion and call it rest. Don’t judge your situation by surface-level waves.

Instead, pause. Ask. Listen.

What kind of storm am I in?
What is God saying in this season?
And what is the response of faith, obedience, and discernment in this moment?

Not every storm is the same.

But in every storm, God is speaking, and His presence is near.