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Storms Ahead

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“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6.

We may not have advanced warnings of storms. Tornados develop quickly and may go undetected until it is too late to move from their path. Hurricanes provide more warning but may take unexpected turns, intensify, and catch us off guard.

Storms in our lives are often unannounced. A sudden medical diagnosis or health event finds us hearing test results we never thought would be about us. A family member tells us their marriage failed or a wayward relative finds trouble around every corner. The sudden death of a family member rocks our world to the core. An unexpected, a health crisis may not even seem rational to us. But life happens according to God’s plan and calendar. Not ours.

It is clear that storms in our lives can make us hold on more tightly to our faith. When things are looking down, Christians look up and ask God for help with a marriage, support for challenging relationships, or talented surgical hands for a loved one’s surgery.

But the verse above from Deuteronomy is not speaking of an unexpected storm. This verse takes place as Moses is nearing the end of his life. God told him he would not cross the Jordan, but Joshua would be the one to take the Israelites to the promised land. God knew the times ahead would be difficult. Joshua would have wars with nations and for many years the wars continued. God foretold of these storms. He knew trouble was ahead. It was part of the bigger picture. God knew that on the other side, after the struggles and the wars, the Israelites would be better because of the struggles. They would claim their promised land.

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of troubles; he knows those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7

For over a year now, the world has dealt with an unexpected storm. No one saw it coming. No one knew our lives would be shut down and changed dramatically. But as the verse above states, we were not forsaken by God. He stood with us as a nation and slowly we are getting our lives back. Of course God could see the bigger picture.

“But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” Psalm 33:11.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Much has been written about the time of this pandemic. Interestingly, a common theme among Christian’s writing or speaking about the pandemic is one of a great revival in our country. The pandemic is viewed as a time when Christians, and for the first time perhaps, many non Christians took refuge in God and asked for strength and protection.

The pandemic caught us off guard. We were not prepared. But is there another storm ahead that we should pray about? Is there a coming storm in our country? Can we see it in the road up ahead?

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger,” James 1:19.

Are we prepared for the large numbers of helpless people who are streaming into our country with medical issues and no economic support? Can we address this coming storm with Christian hearts and be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger? Are we praying that our nation can be kept secure? Are we praying that no harm would come to the people entering the country and no harm would come to our country? Have we prayed for our own neighbors, who might be placed in harm’s way?

“From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do,” Psalm 33:13-15.

God knows our hearts. He knows our feelings about the events of our times. Unfortunately, all issues in today’s world are politicized. Once again we must think about how Christian’s are to live. We are commanded to love our neighbors and that includes all of our neighbors. This means protecting each other and individuals who cannot protect themselves. These issues are complex. People within our country and those streaming across the border have real reasons to be concerned. We all should be. Solutions will come to those who are quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Let’s begin by praying and then, with God’s guidance, talking to each other.

If you are concerned about these events, consider all of the issues and resources available. Let’s not turn off our ears to viewpoints that are different than our own. No solution will come from that. Rather, let us be attuned to our faith in God and in mankind. As a people, we can do better. We can listen more intently and speak more respectfully.

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My new release explores the situation on the border through the lives of two women, one in the United States and one traveling across Mexico with the hope of entering the United States. When they ultimately meet, their lives are changed forever. Below is the trailer for the book followed by the link to the book on Amazon.




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