Day 23: Stronger Than Before
Day 23: Stronger Than Before
Scripture:
“But the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”
—1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV)
“Storms aren’t sent to destroy you—they are sent to build you.”
— Dr. Daniel LeBlanc
Reflection:
Storms may feel violent, sudden, and overwhelming—but when you belong to Christ, nothing is ever wasted. The storms that threaten to break you are the very storms God uses to build you. They are not signs of His absence; they are evidence that He is preparing you for something greater. In the hands of the God of all grace, every storm becomes a construction site for a stronger, deeper, more unshakable you. One of the clearest lessons my wife and I have learned through the storms of life is this: the plants that survive aren’t the tallest—they’re the ones with the deepest roots. Shallow roots snap when the winds rise, but deep roots hold firm. And that’s exactly what the storms have done for us. They have pushed our faith deeper into the unshakable promises of God. They have anchored us below the surface, so that when the high winds came, we were not sustained by our strength, but by the depth of His faithfulness. God doesn’t allow storms to tear you down—He allows them to drive your roots deeper and your foundation stronger. In fact, just as a wise farmer sometimes burns his fields to clear out old roots, hidden diseases, and stubborn weeds, God sometimes allows the fires of adversity to purify your soil. Without the fire, the future harvest would be shallow and weak. But with the fire, the ground is made rich, and the next crop will be far greater. The flames you feel today are not signs of your destruction—they are signs that a greater harvest is being prepared. This is the beautiful promise of 1 Peter 5:10: after you have suffered for a little while, God Himself steps in—not to leave you broken, but to rebuild you stronger than ever. He comes to perfect you, restoring what was fractured and making you whole again. He comes to establish you, setting your feet so securely that no future storm will move you. He comes to strengthen you, infusing you with spiritual power from the inside out. And He comes to settle you, laying an unshakable foundation that can carry the weight of your destiny. Storms never last forever, but what God builds in you through them does. The pressure you feel now is producing perseverance. The shaking is securing your foundation. The fire is clearing the way for a richer, fuller future. If you only focus on the chaos, you will miss the construction. But if you trust His hand in the midst of it, you will emerge not weaker, but stronger—wiser, steadier, and more rooted in Him than ever before.
Today, don’t resent the storm—or the fire. Embrace the Builder behind it. Let Him finish His work. Let Him drive your roots deeper. Let Him breathe fresh strength into your spirit. Let Him clear the way for a harvest you couldn’t have produced without this season. You are not being torn down. You are being built up for greater glory. Storms aren’t sent to break you. They are sent to build you.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that no storm, no shaking, and no fire are wasted in Your hands. Thank You for using every trial to drive my roots deeper into Your love and prepare me for a greater future. Perfect what was broken. Establish what was unstable. Strengthen what was weak. Settle what was shaken. Burn away anything that limits my harvest. I declare by faith that I am not just surviving the storms of life—I am being built stronger, rooted deeper, and prepared for greater glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
