Don't be taken away by an EXPECTED storm...

Surprised by hurricanes while sitting on a porch on a house on the beach...

Several years ago, I helped with hurricane recovery on the coast of North Carolina. One day, I talked at length with a homeowner who lived at a certain beach; in fact, whose house was in view of the ocean and vice versa. It struck me that she seemed surprised that (1) a hurricane actually came, (2) that it was as bad as predicted, and (3) that SHE had been affected by it.

It left me with a series of questions I was too polite to ask in the moment. 

• Did she not know that North Carolina, and particularly the Outer Banks, is in the heart of Hurricane Alley? 
• Did she not know of the hundreds of years of history of hurricanes striking North Carolina? 
• Did she not understand where she built that house?
• Did she think SHE was exempt?

I think many people build on sand (see Matthew 7:26-27); then, they are surprised when storms come, and even more surprised that the storm actually affects THEM.

If there was a weather report for life, it would be God's word. There is a building plan for life, and it's God's word. There are dangers in life, and all of them are laid out in God's word.

Think of the storm of bad doctrine. It hits every soul, and waves over people who build near stormy shores.

It's no wonder so many are taken away in these storms! We build in bad places. We build on wrong foundations. We camp in flimsy tents when we ought to be in fortresses upon bedrock. We dally about like our religion is a show to be seen rather than God to be known.

Friend, build wise. Build right. Eat solid food.

Be ready for the storm...

"About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5:11-14 ESV)