Find Refuge in the Storm

Dannah Gresh: Just a heads up as we get started, today's program contains two brief mentions of suicide. We know this is a sensitive topic for many, and we’re committed to dealing with it biblically. We just want you to be aware ahead of time so you can proceed accordingly. 

Here’s Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth.

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: Anyone can worship a God who makes everything turn out the way they hope it will. The sun is shining, and they've got money in the bank and their husband is wild about them and their kids obey, and everything's going just fine. But the test of our worship, the test of our faith, the test of our surrender, the test of our heart is when God takes some of that away. Then we find out, are we just paid lovers of God? Or do we love God for who He is?

Dannah: This is the Revive Our Hearts podcast with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, author of Surrender: The Heart God Controls, for September 22, 2025. I’m Dannah Gresh.

Most of us are old enough to have vivid memories about storms. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused 1,392 deaths and an estimated 125 billion dollars in damages.

Maybe you remember the 2011 tsunami in Japan that caused a nuclear emergency, or Hurricane Helene in 2024, that churned through Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia.

And it seems like every year we watch wildfires threaten forests, homes, and a sense of security. Not to mention the suddenness of flash floods like the tragedy in Texas that stole more than one hundred lives in the summer of 2025, many of them innocent girls at a Christian summer camp. 

Nancy is beginning a series called "Storm Shelter," about where you can turn when you’re threatened.

Nancy: You realize that those physical storms, as dangerous and devastating as they can be, are really a picture of life.

Life has its storms—not just weather storms, not just physical storms—but other storms that touch us in ways that maybe are not as dramatic but can be equally as devastating and difficult. It's not a matter of if we will go through storms in life; it's a matter of when.

In fact, how many of you would say that at this point in your life you're in some kind of storm? It might be a financial storm, a physical issue or health issue or a work storm in your workplace, a relational issue, a family issue or something in your church. There are one or more storms that you're walking through at this time. Let me just see some hands here.

Okay about half of us. And I would say to the other half, "Hold on!" Life being what it is, most of the time in life you're either just coming through a storm, or you're in the middle of a storm, or (you don't know but) you're getting ready to go into a storm. So, what we want to talk about this week really has bearing for all of us.

Just before this session a woman said to me, "My grown daughter is going through five or six major storms in her life right now." Just one upon another. I think of the ocean with the waves as they come rolling in. You think you just got through one and another comes on you. 

I think of a close friend of mine who lost her husband at an early age and then lost a child several years later. About that period of time she also lost her mother and her only sibling. It was like wave after wave after wave of storms.

I think of someone, a woman, that some in this room know, who, not too long ago walked through the loss (the death) of her mother-in-law. Then she, herself, (the woman that you know) went through breast cancer. Then, not too long ago, her husband was killed in a car accident suddenly. And a week later, as I understand it, her brother suddenly died! Just one wave after another, storm upon storm.

Now, storms can come to greater or lesser degrees. Those of us who raised our hands that we are in some kind of storm, our storm may not compare with what that woman has walked through. But when you're in the middle of your storm, it seems major; it is major because it's your storm. And it's at that moment when we need to know how to walk through those storms, how to respond.

There's a passage in the Scripture that has been a particular encouragement to me in some of my times of storm. We want to look at it this week. It's from the Psalms, Psalm 57. If you have your Bibles, let me encourage you to open them. We're just going to walk verse by verse through some of what David learned in his time of going through storms.

The introductory note at the beginning of this psalm says that this was written when David had fled from Saul into the cave. That's a reference that some of you will be familiar with, to a period of time that you read about it in 1 Samuel chapters 22, 23, and 24. It's where David was running as a fugitive from King Saul.

You remember that David had been anointed by God to be the next king of Israel. But for years it looked like God's promises were never going to be fulfilled because there was an egomaniac whose name was Saul who sat on the throne and was in the way of David getting to the throne.

And for years, David and his band of supporters had to run as fugitives, living in caves, in deserts, in mountains, in places way out, in foreign countries; just running from one place to another trying to escape the wrath of King Saul, who was insanely jealous. Jealous and insecure people become spear throwers, which is what Saul was.

So David spent years running from the wrath of this man, fleeing from Saul and at times hiding in caves so as not to be found by Saul who was determined to kill David.

Notice, as we think about David fleeing from Saul and hiding in caves, that being godly does not exempt us from going through storms. David was God's chosen man. He was anointed by God. As best he knew, he was walking with God, but he still went through storms. Remember that when you go through your storm.

God is not necessarily punishing you. He may be chastising you or disciplining you, but He may be just refining and maturing and purifying you and preparing you for service that He has for you down the road.

As we walk through Psalm 57, we're going to see several things that will help us walk through the storms of life. The first thing I notice about David in this passage is that he is honest about the fact that he is going through a storm. He doesn't deny the fact that he's in a storm; that he's in a tempest; that things are swirling around him; that the circumstances are difficult.

He says in verse 1:

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

He calls it what it is; it's a disaster. Some of your Bible will use the word "calamity." That's a good word picture. This is a circumstance that is diasterous. He talks in verse 3 about those "who hotly pursue me."

I cry out to God Most High. . . .
He sends from heaven and saves me,
   rebuking those who hotly pursue me. (vv. 2–3)

That is someone who swallows you up. Someone who is snapping at you, hounding you, crushing you. These are strong words that David uses for what he is facing. He's got real enemies. There are real people after him, nd they're snapping at his heels and pursuing him aggressively.

Then in verse 4 he says, "I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts." Now he wasn't in a literal lion's den, though there was at least one in the Scriptures who did experience that. But he's saying,

I am in the midst of lions [they're actually men] . . .
whose teeth are spears and arrows,
   whose tongues are sharp swords. (v. 4)

He's saying, "There are people who are sworn to be my enemies. They're attacking me verbally. They're criticizing me; they've cursed me. They've destroyed my reputation." 

Have you had to live with or near someone who may have attacked you verbally? Maybe it's a parent you grew up with. Maybe it's someone in your home or in your workplace or in your community. They've tried to destroy your reputation. David says, "It's like being in a lion's den! This is a real storm, a real battle that I'm going through here." 

And then he expands the word picture in verse 6. He says,

They spread a net for my feet—
   I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
   but they have fallen into it themselves.

These people who are after me are creating a set of circumstances in my life that is incredibly difficult. David acknowledges that that's the truth. He's not pretending that there is no storm.

I think sometimes we have this mistaken idea that if we're good Christians, we won't have any storms in our lives. We won't have any people after us. We won't have any disastrous or calamitous circumstances. David is saying, "That's not true. Right now I'm in the midst of this lion's den. This is a very difficult circumstance." 

Some of you just said that you're in the midst of a storm. Your storm may look like David's, or it may look very different. It may not be as intense but it's still difficult. Could I just say that as we start this week of looking at surviving the storms, that it's important first of all that we expect the storms? Don't expect to be immune from the storms. In fact, the closer you walk to God, it may be that the more God will entrust you with some storms that He is using to fit you to fulfill His purposes.

• Expect the storms. Don't assume that God is mad at you just because you're in the midst of difficult or even disastrous or calamitous circumstances.
• Be honest. Don't deny the reality. Be honest and say, "This is a storm; this is hard."

Over the next few days we're going to look at how we can survive those storms.

But an important starting place is to just be honest and say, "I am in a storm." That doesn't necessarily mean that God has forsaken me. He hasn't. In fact, He is as present in the storm, in the midst of the storm, as He is at any other season of your life.

 

Verse 1 of Psalm 57, David says, "Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me." Let me just make a parenthetical note here: it's interesting that David didn't say, "O God, destroy my enemies."

Now, there are other passages where David prays that way. But in this case, he's praying, "Lord, it's me who's in the need of Your mercy. Have mercy on me in the midst of this storm." He's not crying out at this point for vengeance, for retribution, or for victory over his enemies. He's just praying that God would have mercy on him in the midst of the storm. Then he says,

O God, have mercy on me,
   for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
   until the disaster has passed." (v. 1)

He says, "I'm in the midst of a disaster," but he also recognizes that there will come a time when the disaster will pass. By the way, that should be encouraging.

You don't know how long your storm will last, but I can guarantee you that it will not last one moment longer than God intends that it should last. It will not be one degree more intense than God declares that it should be. God determines the intensity of the storm, the duration of the storm, and the nature of the storm.

He says, "The day is coming when this disaster will pass but until then, I'm going to run to God for refuge."

Dannah: Is there some storm that is threatening your sense of security right now? Would you do what Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth just suggested and run to the Lord for refuge?

As Nancy gave this message, a woman named Terri was listening. She shared how she was leaning on the Lord for refuge in her own tumultuous storm.

Teri: As Nancy talked about storms, my family has been through a lot of storms these past few years. And the last five, I feel like we have been in constant storms. Sometimes I describe it as hurricane force; sometimes there are little tornadoes going around. And sometimes it's the perfect storm where everything comes together, but there's always a gale, and it has never subsided. For my family, those issues have mainly revolved around health.

I began having a lot of problems with my back, and I've been on and off physical therapy for four years. Although it's not a life-threatening thing, it's a very life-altering thing for me. Our oldest daughter has had a lot of health problems with asthma and infections and allergies, and just last Wednesday she had major surgery to have her lower jaw lengthened.

The main storm that has kept all the other storms constant is that my husband, Roger, went into a severe depression five years ago. And he has not come out of it. My husband has suffered with depression on and off his whole life. We didn't know what it was until about three years ago.

As he got older the periods became longer until he finally just went into one and just never came out. He also had suffered with not being able to sleep well. We found out that he was suffering from sleep apnea—not getting enough oxygen—but he basically had eight years where he had not slept. He was waking up, literally, fifteen times per hour and not getting any rest.

Three years ago we were working in California and my husband was literally falling apart on me. He was suffering from severe exhaustion and his mind was literally shutting down. I, for two years, was thinking, What is wrong with my husband?

While we were out there, a young gal who we had worked with had committed suicide over the weekend. We had found out, out there, and we knew her. She had watched our children when we had worked different events. All of a sudden my husband is telling me that he can relate to why she did this. I realized that my husband was suicidal and that we were probably dealing with depression.

When we came home, we went to the doctor. And then it was diagnosed that he was dealing with depression. In fact, he had surgery a year ago to alleviate the sleep apnea. And he is sleeping better but it's been really difficult. Depression is an ugly disease.

It's really difficult when you're married to somebody who's depressed because it's like a part of you is missing. It's so hard; they're in so much pain! They're in such a deep hole, and there is nothing you can say or do that can change that except for praying for them.

There have been times I felt like I could just sit down and fall apart, but you know what? I realized that I didn't have to handle this, and I couldn't handle this. But God could. He could handle this through me. And you know, God has taught me so much! He's taught me to run to Him. He has become my sanctuary. He has become that strong tower that I can run into, and that refuge, and He is the lifter of my head.

A year ago, God spoke to me (and He didn't verbally speak) but He just spoke clearly to my heart. And He said, "Teri, if I choose not to heal Roger, will you continue to love him; and will you continue to love Me and to serve Me?" That just hit me and I just cried because I realized that what God was asking of me was total surrender. He was asking me to put all my dreams, my hopes, my desires, my ministry on the altar.

I finally went to the Lord and I just said, "Okay, Lord, you've brought me to this point." I said, "I do surrender; I surrender all of this, but I can't do this!"

And He said, "No, you can't, but I can."

This verse came. Second Corinthians 12: 9–10. It says,

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (NASB)

He basically said, "Teri, don't you get it? I chose your life verse for you, and this is it. And I've been weaving it through your life all these years."

It's been a year. God has given me a new love for my husband—not a love that loves him for who he was in the past or what I hope for him to be in the future, but who he is now, depressed. He's reminded me and kind of stripped off the depression so that I could see all the things that I love and appreciate about my husband.

The biggest lesson that I've learned is that He [God] has taught me to live life in the midst of the storm, not survive it but to live it—to live it fully, to live it abundantly, to live it with joy, and with His hope. I realized that if I don't start living life, life is going to pass me by. This might not ever change, and I would totally miss out on life!

We do not go through storms in vain. God does not wound, He does not allow us to suffer without some purpose in mind. I want you to be encouraged that God never asks you to do anything or to go through anything that He does not enable you to go through. He's a big God. I've learned so much about Him! I can stand here today, and I can say, "Thank you, God," because I can see what He's been doing in my life, in my family's life, and He's not finished.

Nancy: Thank you, Teri, for being so transparent and allowing us to have a glimpse into your heart and into your walk. You know, the Scripture says that God comforts us in our affliction, not only so that we can be comforted but so that we can comfort others with the same comfort that we've received from Him when they're facing affliction.

Teri doesn't know most of us in this room but there are other Teri's in this room. The details are different. Your story may not sound quite like hers; but you're living with a situation that, from all appearances, may never change. But the question is, Will you still love Me? Will you still trust me—even if I never change this situation?

I think that's really the situation Job had to face. When Satan went to God and said, "Sure, Job loves you! Look at all you've done for him! He's a paid lover. Who wouldn't love You if he had all this wealth and these great children and these great circumstances in life? But take away the prosperity in his life, take down that hedge from around him and afflict him a little bit. He won't love You so much then" (see Job 1: 1–11).

So God said, "Okay. Let down the hedge." First, Satan was given permission to touch Job's possessions and to take away some of his goods. Then he was given permission to take away his health, to take away his children, the things that were precious to him.

Then the Scripture tells us that in the midst of all this that Job did not sin with his mouth. He didn't contend with God. He said, "I came into this life with nothing; God owes me nothing. Blessed be the name of the Lord" (see vv. 20–21). "Even if He slays me I'm going to trust Him" (see Job 13:15).

I can imagine, as Job said those words, that all heaven just broke out into applause. Job said, "My love for God is not dependent upon the gifts and the blessings that God puts into my life." I trust Him. I trust His purposes. I trust His heart when I can't see His hand. I surrender myself to Him, come what may. I trust Him. I love Him. I will worship Him." 

Teri and her family have been learning to be worshipers. Anyone can worship a god who makes everything turn out the way they hope it will. Anyone can worship God when the sun is shining and they've got money in the bank; their husband is wild about them and their kids obey, and everything's going just fine. Who wouldn't love and worship God then?

But the test of our worship, the test of our faith, the test of our surrender, the test of our heart is when God takes some of that away. And then we find out, are we just paid lovers of God or do we love God just for who He is?

Teri is learning that, out of weakness, God's strength is revealed; that God's strength is sufficient, not after the trial is over, but when we're right smack in the middle of the trial. And the same grace that Teri is finding to be sufficient for her life, one day at a time, and not just to survive . . . I love the way she said that. We're not going to just survive this storm; that's really what Job said, "When God has tried me, I shall come forth; but not just I will survive—I shall come forth as gold." 

Teri is gold in the making, being purified. And that's what Peter says, that the trials, the fires of life, the heat purifies the gold, purifies our faith (see 1 Peter 1:21–23). God is making something beautiful out of our lives, our circumstances. Even the wrath and the failures of men, God will cause to praise Him. Out of our weakness we look to Him and we say, "I don't want to just survive this storm. By Your grace, I want to be victorious in the midst of this storm."

There will be an end to your storm. Your storm may last a lifetime but that's not forever. Beyond the tears, there's the joy. Beyond the cross, there's the resurrection. Beyond the pain and the loss, there's the gain and the wholeness. So don't just hang on for dear life when you find yourself in that storm; run to Him. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe" (Prov. 18:10).

Dannah: That’s Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, pointing you to the only one you can trust when you’re threatened by the storms of life. 

We know Jesus took the ultimate storm of God’s wrath so we can live forever with Him on a new earth where storms will no longer threaten our safety.

Can I say, too, if you are thinking about suicide, or you’re worried about someone else, call or text 9-8-8 toll free, any time, the lines are open 24/7/365. 

Well, like Terri said, you can find joy in the middle of the storm. We’d like to help you do that. Endure: 40 Days of Fortitude is a booklet inviting you to cling to Christ, grow in perseverance, and find joy in trusting Him. We’d love to put a copy in your hands when you support Revive Our Hearts with any amount. To make a donation, visit ReviveOurHearts.com or call us at 1-800-569-5959. When you do, be sure to request your booklet. We’re excited for you to dive in. 

Now here’s your friendly reminder that True Woman'‘25 is NEXT WEEK, October 2–4! Come join me, Nancy, and thousands of other women in Indianapolis for a time of refreshment focused on the wonder of God’s Word. We’re worshiping Jesus, led by Shane and Shane, and we’ll enjoy fellowship with sisters in Christ from all over the United States and the world. It’s not too late to go online and buy tickets—whether you want to participate in-person or virtually. Just visit TrueWoman25.com. I hope to see you there!

Tomorrow, Nancy’s back to continue this conversation, and we’ll also hear from another audience member about how God delivered her from depression. Please be back for Revive Our Hearts.

This program is a listener-supported production of Revive Our Hearts in Niles, Michigan, calling women to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

All Scripture is taken from the NIV unless otherwise noted.

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