What Are You Hanging Onto?

These are some of my thoughts just after the earthquake that we experienced on Tuesday and can also be applied to the hurricane that is on it's way up the East coast...

After the earthquake on Tuesday, people were saying that I will never experience that again in my lifetime. But nobody can guarantee that. We cannot predict that it will or will not happen. Only God knows. This was an opportunity to share with others how I believe that there IS a God and that He controls all things.

I had a few Spiritual conversations with my co-workers and with customers that afternoon, but there was one conversation in particular that inspired me to write this- or at least to title it as I have. This lady in my drive thru said to me after our talk of the earthquake, "If it happens again, hang onto something!" My reply was, "Oh, I am! I'm hanging onto something!" She was driving off before I had the chance to explain how that something that I will hang onto and AM hanging onto is God. He is my Rock.

"On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God." Psalm 62:7

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Blizzards, Tornados, HURRICANES, and other natural weather-related disasters...These are some of the things that man cannot control no matter how hard they try. How should we feel about this? Well, I don't know about you, but I praise God that I know Him. I know the Almighty God who controls all things. NOTHING happens outside of His will or Sovereign plan for His glory and for the good of His people.
He is our peace amidst the storms of life.
For me, I am actually more at peace knowing that nobody can control these things but Him. Who better to trust than the Lord!

In Matthew 8 we read about how Jesus and His disciples are on the boat during a storm. While Jesus is asleep the disciples are terrified of the great storm in the sea that is rocking their boat and threatening their lives. They run to Jesus to awaken Him and to ask Him to save them because they thought they were going to perish. I love Jesus' response to His disciples, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then Jesus rises up to speak to the winds and to the sea. The Bible says that Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea and that there was a great calm. It says then that the men marveled saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey Him?"
In Matthew 14 we read about Peter walking on the water. Peter gets out of the boat to walk on the water toward Jesus and everything is fine until he looks around himself and becomes afraid because of the wind. This is when he starts to sink and cries out to the Lord to save him. Jesus immdediately reaches out His hand to Peter and takes hold of him saying, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Then they get into the boat and the winds cease.

In both of these stories, we see that without faith in Jesus the people were terrified. Jesus is the only one who can rid them of their fears and calm the storms.
Not only does He calm the storms around us, but even more He calms the storms within us.
Matthew 11:28-30 says:
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

He will give you rest. Nothing and no one else can.
Sooo...who or what are you hanging onto?

Put your trust in Him and Him alone. He will give you the peace that you need and long for. Not just peace amidst the storms around us but also peace amidst the storms and trials in life.

Isaiah 26:3-4
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock."

Psalm 62:5-8
"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."