Wow! This has been an eventful August. We were hit with two major events! First, an earthquake in Virginia (the first in New York in the past 100 years, felt as far south as Atlanta and as far north as Canada), then Hurricane Irene, a category-1 storm that traveled up the entire East Coast. We should definitely be grateful because, just by reading this, it lets me know we are still here! Praise God! Our area did not get the damage that many other areas received such as New Jersey, Vermont and Upstate New York to name a few.
Well, with all this storm preparation and talks, it made me wonder about what the Bible tells us about storms. First of all, the Bible makes it clear that storms are a certainty in life. If you are living, you are guaranteed to encounter some storms from time-to-time. In the parable of the Wise and Foolish builder in Mark 7:24-27, the only thing the different builders had in common was they both had houses that had to face a storm.
Storms don’t always have to be physical; many times you can be facing a spiritual or financial storm. At times, these storms may seem more dreadful than a natural storm. This is why the parable teaches us that it is important to build on a solid foundation. While the house on the sand certainly came up quicker and looked just as good as the house on the rock, the storm was the true test of their quality.
Another way to look at the storms we face is as a challenge to be prepared. Building on a solid foundation shows that you are prepared for the guaranteed storms of life. Have your hopes and dreams not on material items, but have them built on Christ — the strongest foundation we know.
Being prepared also means being ready for the 'unexpected.' Having an emergency fund for rainy days is critical, especially during these times. Storms can pop up at any moment; thank God that we have technology that we can use to predict weather and see patterns. However, an earthquake is different in nature — it literally cannot be predicted. In our life we must prepared for both — storms that culminate, and storms that happen suddenly.
Finally, the Bible lets us know that Jesus has power over the storm. In Mark 4, Jesus was able to tell the storm, “Peace, be still!” No need to worry about the storm because God has control over it.
We also have comfort in knowing that the storm will eventually pass. This is critical. Remember that temporary circumstances should not block us from seeing the goodness and plan of God. The prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19 was trying to find the voice of God. He saw a great storm, but God’s voice was not there. He felt a great earthquake, but God’s voice was not there. He also saw the great fire, but God’s voice was there. However, God’s voice was in a small still place.
So my friends remember: storms are guaranteed, God has power over them and God is still good despite our storms!
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