Beacons in the Storm

“My grace is sufficient for you.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9

Anyone can say they trust God when life is smooth sailing. But when storms roll in—the diagnosis, the loss, the unanswered prayer—our trust is tested. Real faith is forged in darkness, refined in trial, and proven in suffering.

A lighthouse may look beautiful against the blue sky and calm sea, standing tall with an air of strength. But its true purpose is revealed in the storm. When waves crash and winds howl, its light becomes a beacon, guiding the lost and standing firm when all else is unsteady. So it is with those who suffer and still hold fast to their God.

History is filled with such beacons—people whose lives radiate God’s sustaining grace.

Joni Eareckson Tada became one after a diving accident left her paralyzed at 18. Through years of wrestling with suffering, she found a greater purpose, founding Joni and Friends, a ministry bringing hope to thousands with disabilities. Her life is a radiant light to those struggling with pain and loss.

Elisabeth Elliot endured the murder of her husband, Jim, while he brought the gospel to an unreached tribe. Yet instead of turning away in bitterness, she later returned as a missionary to the very people who had taken his life. Through her writing and speaking, she became a guiding light for those navigating grief and uncertainty.

If God’s people never faced hardship, how would we see His grace at work? Spurgeon wrote:

"When we find the wanderer who has nowhere to lay his head, yet says, ‘Still will I trust in the Lord;' when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who still glories in Jesus; when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, yet having faith in Christ—oh, what honor it reflects on the gospel!"

We see God’s grace most clearly in those who trust Him when everything else is stripped away. And in their steadfast faith, they become beacons, guiding others through the storm.

A lighthouse does not shine to boast in calm waters; it stands to guide ships safely home.

So when the winds rage and the waves rise, hold fast—His grace is sufficient for you. These trials are shaping you, proving your faith in ways only hardship can. And as you cling to Him, your light will shine as a testimony to the watching world.

For gold is purified in the fire, and a lighthouse proves its strength in the storm.

Who has been a beacon of light for you in your trials?

Parts of this devotional are adapted from Spurgeon's Morning & Evening, March 4