I’ve been wanting to go to Houston to visit my
sister, but I don’t own a boat, so I guess I’ll just wait for the flood waters
to go down; maybe Monday. A couple of things have been weighing on my mind of
late. Of course my sister is steadily declining as her cancer ravages her brain
and will soon end her life in this world. I can’t imagine having to cope with
all the destruction throughout this country due to the recent crazy weather and
unpredictable storms popping up out of nowhere. The earth has certainly been
groaning lately with several major quakes in different parts of the world. But,
I think what’s been troubling me the greatest lately is witnessing too many
unexpected accidental deaths, wanton destruction of lives and willful death.
The world is dealing with their problems in more and more self-destructive ways
and departing this world much too soon. Nothing seems to be black or white,
only gray and frail. It seems there’s no such thing as truth any longer. Today,
truth is based on personal feelings, and legislated law has become a permission
slip for immorality. It seems the answer to all our problems has become kill it
or take another pill. This world is truly going to hell.
[John 16:5-16] Job's ten children were in the elder
brother's house and a wind came and blew it away killing all of them (Job
1:18-19). Many people today can understand because they also have experienced
the destruction of a great wind. I remind you of the storms on the sea during
Jonah's time. This storm was the results of God's wrath, because Jonah was not
obeying Him. There were the storms also on the Sea of
Galilee when Jesus was in the boat with His disciples. (Mark
4:35-41) “…A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that
it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The
disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ He
got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the
wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are
you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ They were terrified and asked each
other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’” I remind you also
of the storm when the disciples were in the boat and Jesus came walking on the
water to them during the storm (Matthew 14:22-33). Jesus gave Peter permission
to walk on the water. “…But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning
to sink cried out, ‘Lord save me!’ Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and
caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why do you doubt?’” Are you
sinking in the storms of life? Is your faith weak? Do you doubt? “…faith comes
from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ”
(Romans 10:17). Jesus promised to send another Counselor, the Spirit of truth,
the Holy Spirit, to be with us forever (John 14:15-21). We receive this Spirit
through baptism (Acts 2:38). Jesus taught Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) “…no one can
enter the kingdom
of God unless he is born
of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to
spirit” That Spirit is like the wind (v.8), we can’t see it but we can
experience its effects. “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:16-26). With the Spirit of
God in control of your life, the storms of life cannot drag you down; because
faith has you lifted higher than this life, out of this world, and preparing
for eternity. Peace, be still.
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