The rain came down and the waters came up. The Houston area experienced what is called a “500 year flood”. I watched through the windows to determine if the water was going to reach our home. The first day of the storm resulted in the water cresting around a foot from our front door. Our family thanked the Lord for His goodness. Our boys grabbed the kayaks and canoe to helped the neighbors evacuate from their homes. Throughout the day and night, the water level dropped 10 inches. We thought the worse was over. However, the director from Lake Conroe decided to open the spillways, which were north of us. The next day the water level rose 14 inches in a matter of only a few hours. The only thing we could do was to pray. The water surrounded us completely and our home became an island in the midst of the storm.
Once again we prayed that God would protect our home. That day, the water crested less than half an inch from the lip of the front door. Our family prayed for the neighbors and that God would take away the water quickly and protect our home. “Just take away the water quickly Lord!” We prayed. That night, the waters dropped 18 inches.
More storms came, more rain came and we held on to the promises of the Lord. “The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.” Psalms 93:3,4 “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.” Psalms 69:1,2 Despite the rain, and the predictions that things were going to get worse, the water level just kept going down.“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.” Song of Solomon 8:7. God in His merciful love spared our home. The waters had surrounded our Island, and did not go any further.
Have you ever been surrounded by the circumstances of life? Have you ever felt that you were in over your head? Have you ever felt that you were drowning in the turmoil of life? I want you to know that we worship an awesome God. Why He spared our home, is not for me to question, but one thing I know, that when we cry out to Him in the midst of the storm, He listens and cares. The disciples were in the midst of major storm. Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat. The disciples were paddling to get to safety. Finally after all their efforts, they went to Jesus for a solution to escape the storm. “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Mark 4:37-41
I want you to know that we have a Jesus that can calm the storms of your life. We need to trust Him, we need to claim His promises, we need to come to the One that by the utterance of one statement “Peace be still” the storms of your life will be rebuked and peace will enter your soul. Here are some words of encouragement. “How many, in the trying scenes of life, amid perplexities and danger, fight against the storms of adversity alone, forgetting that there is One who can help them. They trust in their own strength and skill, till, baffled and discouraged, they remember Jesus, and humbly call upon him to save them. Though he sorrowfully reproves their unbelief and self-confidence, he never fails to hear their earnest cry, and give them the help they need“ 2SP 309.2 “Not a sigh is breathed, not a pain felt, not a grief pierces the soul, but the throb vibrates to the Father’s heart…. God is bending from His throne to hear the cry of the oppressed. To every sincere prayer He answers, ‘Here am I.’ He uplifts the distressed and downtrodden. In all our afflictions He is afflicted. In every temptation and every trial the Angel of His presence is near to deliver.” The Desire of Ages, 356
May God claim the storms of your life this Sabbath
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