Praising in the Storm

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name...[So] whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Philippians 2:9, Colossians 3:17)

I was sorry to hear about the devastation in Joplin, Missouri Sunday. The news of disasters rage and we wonder when it will ever end. Daily, word about the destruction is one of the focal points of the news.

There are some who think God may be in the midst of all this. I know there will be a day when He will cause the earth to be destroyed because of the lack of respect for the very God who created this beautiful earth and each of us. His judgment will fall on us some day.

To say this could be His way of sifting and shaking the earth might be the case, to see if people will recognize Him in the storms of life and turn to Him for their strength and safety. But we don't know for sure. But I will say two things: He is in control of all things and what is happening is not surprising Him. And, He does want to get the attention of as many people as possible for salvation's sake. As I watched a video of a group of people huddled together in a convenience store freezer as the tornado in Joplin surged on them, I was surprised and thankful for the words I heard. Listen here. 

If we are in Christ, have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have the boldness to call upon Him to save us from any storm of life. There is power in the name of Jesus. It is He who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. In Him is life, not death. Just ask me if I would be timid in calling on the name of the Lord, the powerful name of Jesus, if something like this would happen to me.

Knowing the Lord in the midst of the Joplin disasters does not take away the pain of their losses. We are told we even when we are following Christ we will have trials. Jesus never told us it would be an easy walk with Him. But He also has said that we are to place our burdens upon Him. And when we know Him so well we also have a hope and strength unmatched by the world. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.

Joplin is a city in the Bible belt. Perhaps out of the rubble, out of the destruction, good will come. Joseph of the Old Testament had quite a story to tell, all the years after he was sold into slavery, persecuted, imprisoned. Here was his response to the very brothers who sold him: You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20). How could good come out of this tornado? Collectively it seems like little. Individually, there might be some who will take a long, hard look at their life after losing all. 

When we are in relationship with Christ, our earthly life is not as important. God comes to us, woos us, when we are hit with a disaster and at the bottom of ourselves. It might be His way of turning lives around, starting anew with a life in Christ.

Perhaps...and I totally hope...testimonies of great faith in God will emerge from Joplin...providing mainstream media does not cover those stories up. Those who know Christ, are in Christ, have received Christ, will know that they know that loved ones who were lost in the storm, will be awaiting those, in heaven, who survived. There can be a comfort underlying the sorrow in that. Maybe we'll hear some of the stories unfold of God's strength at work and His faithfulness amid the wreckage.

We need to be absolutely sure we know Christ in a very special, personal way. The way things are going in this world I would not want to live so loosely connected to Him that my eternal life in heaven would be lost for the alternative eternal life in hell. 

What's the saying? To err is human, to forgive Divine? We have all come into this world as erring sinners. But we can ask the Divine God for forgiveness and choose to change the direction of our lives. If the request is heartfelt...and He will know if it is...your life can change in an instant. You can know where your hope is and Who is there to help you. Even if death comes, you can know life. Life is in Christ. We can praise Him for that.

At least one person in that freezer in Joplin knew where her help comes from. Our help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 121:2). We need to understand the greatness of this God. He is not just some being sitting in heaven watching us. He is active in every one of our lives right now. He is sifting and shaking to see who will stand by Him in time of trouble and who will be urged to seek Him while He can still be found.

One person who viewed the video made the comment: Talk about praising Him in the storm!!!! Man!!!!! They knew who to call on!!!!!!

Your word, O Lord, is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path. Like the sun which rises each morning so You, the Son, rise in my life each morning to bring light to my day. Your Word is the light in my life. It illuminates righteous truth and darkness cannot hide there. Your Word is life and even in death we partake of Your resurrection...and life.

Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."