Craig Clouston

The Coming Storm

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds beat against the house; yet it did not fall.
Matthew 7:25

Her husband had always known what to do: stay and ride it out or to seek shelter inland, away from the fury of the storm. Yet he had died six years ago, and this decision was hers alone.
As the surf pounded the sand with increasing intensity, she sensed the fury of the coming storm. And although the storm was still hundreds of miles out, she realized it might be a direct hit. They’d prepared for storms many times over the years, closing shutters against the strong winds. They had even rebuilt twice, saying, “We will not give in to this unwanted aggressor.”
She watched the waves pound with a force that belied the storm’s awesome power and knew this one would be bad. Having been through some rough storms in the past, she decided to board up and head inland, taking the kids to her sister’s, not risking their lives to protect inanimate objects.
The storm bore down on the coast, rending wooden structures as if they were made of cardboard. When she was finally granted access to her neighborhood, she found only piles of debris shoved up against the palms; not one shred of the house was left standing.
Only now did she realize with clarity how important the decisions of life could be. She was thankful for having made the right one.

†

Many times, spiritual storms strike without advance warning, giving no sign of the coming struggle. They develop quickly, like a tornado out of a supercell thunderstorm, leaving no time to prepare or run for shelter.
Because of this frequent lack of warning, we must take steps ahead of time to shore up the structures most vulnerable and valuable: our spiritual being.
Jesus says the only way to assure survival from these storms is to build our lives on a solid foundation by immersing ourselves in His Word, spending time with Him in prayer, and meeting with others of like mind. We can prepare for the coming storm.

Prayer

“I need Your protection, Lord Jesus. Teach me how to stand on You and Your Word as the Foundation for everything I do. Amen.”