When the Storm Comes Will You Be Ready?
Have you ever experienced a situation in your life that threw you off guard? A situation you never expected you would have to face. In fact, the situation was so bad it even made you feel like what is the point of living?
I’ve been there. I remember a time in my life when what I was going through really shook me up. It was a bad storm. My emotions ran high. I was angry and frustrated. I questioned God. I doubted the Lord's love for me. I didn’t understand why the situation happened to me. In my mind, the storm I was facing made no sense. My emotions made me feel like I was falling apart. In fact, I was falling apart. I felt like I had nothing to stand on.
In Luke 6:46-49, Jesus talks about preparing for storms and he challenges us to think about when we face a storm, what is our foundation? What or who is our anchor? How to weather a storm and be ready when it comes.
To illustrate Jesus' point he talks about two builders. The first builder dug a deep foundation and laid it on the rock. When the flood came and struck the house it did not shake because it was built well. The second builder built a house without a foundation. When the flood came the house collapsed completely.
The main difference between these two builders was one laid a foundation the other one didn’t. Jesus likens this to our own situation. Jesus says to the person who hears my words and put them into practice (obeys) he/she will be ready when the storm comes. However for the person who hears my words and doesn’t put them into practice (disobeys) when the storm comes they will fall apart.
Looking back at my storm situation I realize now that I was like the second builder. First, I downplayed the reality of facing heavy storms in life. I thought I was exempt from storms. The truth is everyone in life will have to face all kinds of storms. Second, I defaulted to my emotions rather than the Word of God. I let me emotions run loose and dictate my direction. Third, I made the mistake of putting my hope in my situation rather than God. I didn’t have a proper foundation. I thought I did but when my storm came it revealed to me that I had the wrong anchor. Maybe you can relate to me and you know what I am talking about.
What storm are you currently facing? Did you just find out that your spouse has been unfaithful to you? Did you lose your job? Were you called into the doctor's office because your health is failing? Did you lose someone you loved? Did your pregnant test come back negative again?
No matter what life storm we are facing our response to it is the same. If we know and put our trust in Jesus Christ, obey him, and cling to his Word we will be able to weather the storm because He is our foundation. Jesus is our rock. We look to Jesus rather than people and things to be our anchor.
In your life storms Jesus becomes what you need. For example Jesus is your helper when your child does not listen. Jesus is your healer when you get sick. Jesus is your comforter when you go through a separation or divorce. Jesus is your hope, when the world is thrown into uncertain times, like war, famines, or virus outbreaks.
So let me ask the question again, will you be ready when the storm comes? Hopefully with this perspective Jesus gives us in Luke 6: 46-49, you will be able to say yes because you can say "Jesus is my Rock and He will not let me be shaken."
