Weather the Storm
Have you ever been in a storm where the winds were above 70-80 mph? It is a surreal experience, to see the power that the wind can generate and how it makes things bend in ways they are not supposed to. Last year, I happened to be doing my Army National Guard Drill and staying at the armory, when close to midnight we had a storm that came out of nowhere. Power flashes, howling wind and torrential rain. I don’t know how it is where you live, but I can tell you that in Oklahoma we go outside to see what’s going on! It was amazing and scary to see that powerful storm with over 80 mph winds just ripping through our area. What was even more impressive was to see the trees surrounding our armory receive the onslaught that this powerful storm was ditching out.
It was then that it dawned on me, that this is an exact reflection of our lives. Most days we survive the occasional 25 mph gust, or the drought and hot days of summer, or the extreme temperatures of winter. But there are those days that the storm will come, and it will come out of nowhere, with 80 mph winds, trying to knock you down. The only thing that keeps us upright and safe is how rooted we are. Just like those trees, some will survive and some will be uprooted. And it has nothing to do with their age. There will be young trees that will survive the storm intact, and there will be old trees that will be toppled over and uprooted. There will be trees that survive, but in the process they are stripped of many limbs.
“No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.” Proverbs 12:3 NIV
I had times where that wind has wreaked havoc in my life. I have survived but not without some deep hurts and pain. My roots with our Lord were strong, but God still needed me to grow fruitful, so he trimmed my limbs. There have been other times that I have been toppled over, uprooted to the core. My roots with God we’re weak, and I did not have His strength to withstand the storm.
'“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” '
Jeremiah 17:7-8
As Jeremiah easily explains, those that are planted near the living waters will always prosper and grow strong. But the only way to weather the storm is by being rooted with God. We need to stop reading nonsense and read the word of God, root ourselves in prayer, and commit to take up our cross every moment of our day. Everyone of us needs to take the time to embrace reading and meditating on the Bible. You can do this in many ways, some just set a timer and read for 15-30 minutes chronologically or through one book of the Bible at the time. Others, like myself, read several books during that time, which usually involves reading a psalm, a proverb, a chapter in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. Others love to listen to the Bible instead, one of the many awesome features of the YouVersion Bible App.
So let’s stop making excuses and let’s commit to reading the word of God each day. Because today you are surviving the small gust of wind, but YOUR storm is coming! Your 100 mph wind attack is on its way. Are you rooted deeply in the word of God to withstand the winds or will you be uprooted and toppled over?
