Your Storm Shelter 10-10-13

Heart-rending scenes of nature's devastation are hard to forget. Victims caught in the path of hurricanes, floods and earthquakes are the people who never forget. But those prepared in advance escape its destruction physically, but not materially.

There is no such thing as a storm-free life. The words "when (not if) a storm strikes", teach us that we all go through times of heartache and trouble. The question is: are we prepared? We can be! God can protect us in times of loss, sickness, divorce, unemployment, loneliness and depression. We may not be able to predict life's storms or prevent them but we can be prepare for them. Mid-storm is no time to be caught in confusion seeking refuge for ourselves or our family. We must know in Whom, and where our protection lies.

A man or woman without God is forced to be their own god - what a fearful thought! Emotion-based faith is like a broken crutch; it won't support us in life's storms. It's fair-weather faith in God and it doesn't work. God's Word stands sure; it's greater than surrounding conditions and will enable us to outlast any storm.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." (Col 3:16) Keep a rich deposit of Scripture within you at all times so you can make a withdrawal when you need it. Withstanding life's storms depends on our willingness to "hear" these words... and "put" them into practice. So, memorize the Scriptures; read them until, if you're cut, you bleed Scripture. Prayer is also a way to storm-proof ourselves. Many of us treat prayer like a visit to the emergency room; until then we neglect it. Imagine where Daniel would have been if he'd held off praying until he was staring down the lion's throat? It would have been lights out! Instead, in his time of crisis, Daniel drew on faith built by a lifestyle of daily prayer. And in our times of crisis, we too, can make withdrawals from our account - as long as we've been faithful to make regular deposits.

CSATF-SP
Rechell Williams #V69138 A3/16/66
P.O. Box 5248
Corcoran, CA 93212