When the Storm Refuses to Stop — Yet God Remains Faithful

Life sometimes deals blows so heavy, it feels like our very soul might shatter under the weight. I have known joy, but I have also walked through valleys so dark and deep that even my own voice seemed too weak to pray. And I want to share a part of my journey — not to dwell in sorrow, but to testify of a God whose light pierced through my darkest nights.

In 2023, I lost my very near and dear brother — not just a brother by blood, but my other half in every sense. His absence left a hollow space in my heart, and along with it came crushing financial debts. I thought that was my breaking point. But life wasn't finished testing me yet.

Before I could gather myself, I lost my father. It felt like the very roof over my head and the ground beneath my feet had been pulled away. My world trembled. Once again, debts loomed over me, threatening to drown everything I loved and worked for.

Job 1:21 echoed in my heart during those days:  

"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

I didn’t feel like blessing His name at that moment — but my heart knew it was the only way to survive.

Then came 2024,carrying its own share of cruelty. I suffered a business loss so great, it shook the very foundation of my livelihood. And betrayal — not from a stranger, but from a Church of Christ brother from South India. A man I had trusted, stood beside, believed in. I became a guarantor for a transaction between him and some people in Siliguri, and when things went wrong, my family paid the price. The pressure was unbearable, the shame heavy, and the tears uncounted.

As if these wounds weren’t enough, I faced another kind of heartbreak — discouragement from my own dear and near ones. People I called friends. People I believed would stand by me, instead turned their backs, whispered behind, and questioned my decisions, my faith, my calling.  

Their discouragement hurt more than the debts and betrayal.  

Because when the world rejects you, it stings — but when your own brothers and friends do, it cuts deeper.

Psalm 41:9 came alive to me:  

"Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me."

Yet one thing I never did — I never stopped doing the Lord’s work. It would have been so easy to justify quitting, to pause the social works, to stop ministering, to tell people, “I need a break. I need to focus on myself now.” And no one would have blamed me.

But then I remembered 2 Corinthians 4:8-9:  

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

This became my anthem. Yes, I was pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down — but not destroyed.

Now, a mission trip to the Philippines lies ahead. And it feels like one more impossible mountain. It’s a massive financial burden, and my heart is weary. And the saddest truth — much of the discouragement I hear isn’t from strangers, but from my own friends and near ones.  

People telling me it’s too risky, too soon, too foolish.

But when God calls, He provides. And though I haven’t yet made that journey, I choose to prepare my heart for it. Not because I have the means, but because I have the faith.

Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us:  

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."

And so I keep running. Broken, bruised, burdened — but still running.

In those lonely nights, when debts screamed louder than my prayers, when betrayal left my heart bleeding, when losses piled one upon another, and when discouragement from those I loved threatened to silence my spirit — I clung to one unshakable truth: **God is still on the throne.**

Psalm 34:18 says:  

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

When no one else understood, He did. When my spirit was crushed, He came close. And I realized that our pain, as unbearable as it feels, is never wasted in the hands of God.

The world tells us to slow down when life gets rough — but the kingdom of God is built by those who bleed and still build, who are bruised and still believe.

I remember Galatians 6:9:  

"Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

I almost lost heart — but His Word held me together.

To anyone reading this who finds themselves in a similar storm — maybe you’re grieving, maybe betrayed, maybe drowning in debts, maybe facing discouragement from your own people, maybe questioning where God is in all this pain — let me tell you: Hold on. He is near. You are not forsaken. The God who carried me through death, betrayal, debt, despair, and discouragement will carry you too.

Even when the storm refuses to stop, the anchor holds.

Isaiah 43:2 says:

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."

Notice it doesn't say “if” but “when.” The storms are certain, but so is His presence.

Today, I stand — not because the debts are gone, or because everyone who betrayed me made amends, or because my heart no longer aches — but because His grace is sufficient.

2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds us:  

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

And if you find yourself weak today — you are the perfect candidate for His strength.

Let’s keep building, bleeding, believing — until the day He calls us home.

In His Service 

Joseph Khati