Praying for all those trying to rebuild from Hurricane
Harvey – loss of hopes, dreams, property, jobs, loved ones and even life
itself. Praying for God to spare our nation from the devastating storm that is
Hurricane Irma, and from those that lurk more distantly. For me personally, Hurricane
Irma may strike even closer to home, threatening my family, home, church, business,
state, and nation.
Yet God is in control, His thoughts are higher than my
thoughts, and His ways are higher than my ways. He works all things together
for good for those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Job said he would trust and praise the Lord even though He
would slay Him. For reasons we can’t begin to understand in this life, God
allowed Satan to inflict loss of property, family, and health on His faithful
servant Job, yet He never allowed Satan to take his life.
When Job began praying for his friends, even though they
were quick to accuse him and tear him down rather than comfort him and build
him up, God restored all to him and even more (Job 42:10). May
whatever storm we are facing teach us not only to draw closer to God in faith,
but to fight as prayer warriors for one another.
Satan is the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2), lashing out in
fury with wind, lightning and floods as he knows his time is short to deceive
humanity before Jesus Christ returns to banish him to the pit of hell. But
Jesus is the One who spoke “Peace, be still,” to the raging storm, and the
storm obeyed Him (Mark 4:39).
Praise God that if we have trusted His Son as our Lord and
Savior, no one and nothing can harm us unless He allows it for our ultimate
good and His glory. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). Our earthly
possessions can vanish in an instant, but the treasures we store up in Heaven last
forever, safe from theft, destruction, or corruption (Matthew 6:19-20).
Our earthly life is but a vapor, gone as quickly as a puff
of smoke dissipates (James 4:14).
But once we place our faith in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only
Way to Heaven (John 14:6), He
gives us eternal life in Heaven with Him and our loved ones in Him, in a
glorified body that will never sin, age, die, or experience sickness, pain or
sorrow, in our own mansion He has especially designed for each of us (1 Corinthians 15:49-57).
Praise God that He is our Shelter in the storm, our Rock,
our Strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10)
to Whom we can run, knowing that He will protect us as a hen protects her
chicks (Matthew 23:37), and
that He will hide us in the cleft of the Rock (Isaiah 2:21). He alone can lift us from the miry clay and
place our feet on the firm foundation of the Rock that is Himself (Psalm 40:2).
May all be safe from the storm, trusting in Him Who is our
Shelter, knowing that without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5) , but that with Him, all things are possible! (Matthew 19:26). We can endure all
trials in Him Who strengthens us (Philippians
4:13), for His grace is sufficient, and His strength is made perfect in
our weakness! (2 Corinthians 12:9)
© 2017 Laurie Collett
