One part about living in Florida, is we know how to prepare for a hurricane. As Hurricane Michael approaches, that little line of prediction keeps creeping down the coast more and more toward me and my family. So, like every Floridian, we started preparing food, water, gas, batteries, etc. I always loved hurricane season, not the destruction of it obviously, but the calmness before the storm, the waiting, the preparation period. There is always this sense of something bigger than ourselves is coming, and there is nothing we can do but be prepared for when it arrives.
As I was at the store getting water for my family, this question popped in my head: What am I doing to prepare myself for the looming storms in life that are bigger than me and that I cannot stop?
I know.
That is a hard-hitting question to appear in the middle of the canned goods aisle, but there it was. It really struck a chord with me. If you know me, you know that when I am good, everything is good, but when I am not good, it affects everything and everyone around me. Right now I am in a period of good, my jobs, school, my friends, this blog, everything seems to be working out right now and everything is peaceful. But, life is always churning up another storm just building and moving in. So, what is it that I can be doing right now to prepare my heart for those ever-present storms?
Food and Water: The Lord says the He is the bread of life (His Word) and that He is the living water. When I fill myself in The Word and in God's presence, it means that my heart is not scrambling to find nourishment elsewhere. So when the storms come and destroy everything else, I will already be full and have the food and water accounted for.
Gas. Obviously there is no scripture that says "I am the gas of life" (could you imagine the middle school jokes?) but gas can be used in storms to burn lamps which bring light. So when the storms come and knock all the electricity out, the gas burns and keeps the light going strong. God is that light. He says that he is the "light of the world and a city on a hill cannot be hidden", and when the storms of life are coming, we have the promise that the Lord will light the way for us, we cannot be overtaken in darkness. And believe me, when the rescue happens, I want to be like the city on the hill and not be hidden.
Batteries. Batteries bring life. Simply put, God brings life. Batteries keep everything going when electricity fails. When our own strength fails us, God can use His power and His might to keep us strong. If not, then the storm will not have to try very hard to overcome you, because unfortunately, the storms are stronger than us, they are bigger than us. But, they are not bigger than our savior.
Just like in a storm, all of these things have to be prepared in advance. There is no way to prepare during a storm. Preparation for a storm comes at a price. The same is true in faith, it means sacrificing time, energy, and priorities, to be fully prepared when those storms hit, and trust me, they are going to hit.
So, I will ask you the same thing God asked me:
What are you doing to prepare yourself for the looming storms in life that are bigger than you and that you cannot stop?
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