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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Storm Proof

Read:   Matthew 16:13-18

It's all over the news headlines!  Hurricane Dorian is gathering strength in the Atlantic Ocean at this very moment and the residence of Florida prepare for its impact.

This very same time of year 2 years ago, my husband and I traveled to Florida for vacation.  We arrived on Labor Day Monday and settled in for our weeklong stay.  By Wednesday, though one of the most picturesque beach days I have ever experienced, we were hearing reports of tropical storm Irma being upgraded to a Hurricane.  We watched the news reports of how Irma was wreaking havoc upon Puerto Rico, and the tracking models showed it was likely coming our way.

Some of the residence in our vacation home subdivision had wisely already vacated.  Others were batting down the hatches and preparing to “weather out” the storm.  We decided to get up at midnight and start the long, grueling escape out of Florida to safety.

If you were going “weather out” a fierce storm like Hurricane Irma, or the threatening Hurricane Dorian, where would you go? Would you trust staying in a fragile double wide mobile home?  

When I googled “Hurricane Proof Homes,” this picture came up.  Would you feel secure here during a Hurricane?

The storms of life are inevitable.  They will come. Why?  Because the “gates of Hades” are always at work, brewing up some sort of havoc.  Death itself is working on us every day.  We see evidence of it in the symptoms of our own frail bodies or of those we love.  Even on the most beautiful of days, we know it is only a matter of time before we or one of our loved ones will draw our last breath. 

Where do we go?  

As Jesus was facing His own arrest, unfair trail, and ultimate sentencing, things were not looking good.  His followers had all left Him.  Pontius Pilot, the one who had the authority to pronounce the death sentence, found Him innocent.  Yet, the crowd was persistent. Luke 23:23 says, “But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that He be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.”  It seemed that the Messiah, the One in whom they had all placed their trust, was doomed for destruction. 

The gates of Hades and Death seemed to have won.  But that was not the end of the story!  Three days later, the rocks themselves cried out as Jesus broke open the tomb where He was laid. The gates of Hades could not hold Him and He silenced the boast of those who were against Him.

And He did this for YOU too!  

“Lord to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life!” 

“I will build my life upon Your Love; it is a FIRM FOUNDATION!” 


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