The Coming Storm
October 12
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 neighbor-
hood, 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.
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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.”
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