Before, during and even in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, God is with you. In the heartache, loneliness, struggle, worry of the unknown, He is with you. Remember and rest in the power and provision of your Creator.
Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
This World is Not our Home
Pastor D.J. reminded us a year ago during our 2023 “Plagued by Pride” sermon series that this world is not our home, and we are not of this world.
Jesus proclaims in John 8 that He is not of this world, and as His followers who will inherit His Kingdom one day, we fall under that same category (John 8:23). A follower of Christ who believes that will have deeply rooted peace.
We are citizens of Heaven living set apart from the world. As citizens of Heaven, we follow what God would have us do: be there for our families, run our businesses and love our neighbor. All with an eternal perspective and hope that this world is not our home.
In Exodus, Moses is told by God to warn the Israelites to spread the blood of a sacrificial lamb on their door frames, and God would pass over them (Exodus 12:21-23). “God was not just thinking about midnight in Egypt. He’s thinking about Calvary.”
God’s sovereignty cannot be forgotten in the midst of our trials. He was faithful to send His Son for our salvation; He is faithful in our lives now; and He will be faithful to be with us moving forward. Rest in the peace and comfort that can bring you.
What is our Trust Rooted in?
We know this world is not our home, but it does not negate our heavy hearts. In this hardship, we will feel loss: a loss of what was comfortable and what we knew to be stable in our lives. Take your electricity, for example. Many of us may have recognized that life is dependent on electricity, especially at home. Did you find yourself struggling without the stability and security of having power? The reality is that yes, most of us did.
In his sermon “Faith Worth Testing” in February 2024, Pastor D.J. said, “Let the electrical grid of this nation fail for a few hours and you’ll watch society completely break down, which means that any sense of security we think we have is just that. It’s a false sense of security.”
Think about the reality of this false sense of security after Hurricane Helene. Our false sense of security is exposed.
The question, then, is what is your trust truly rooted in? In the security of what’s around you? Do you trust God with what you love most? Do you want to settle in your comfort and try to partially trust God? If all falls apart, are you falling with it? It’s worth considering and examining in our lives.
1 Peter 1:6-7 says, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith–more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire–may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
If you are walking through the aftermath of Helene with a heavy heart, saddened by the results, or grieving what you lost, you are not alone. God’s Truth in Psalm 23:4 is a great comfort in hardships such as these. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
God values our faith so much that there is value in testing it. When it comes to our health, we value taking care of it and we will run tests to check on its status. In the same way, we are given opportunities to sit with the Lord and ask Him to examine our hearts and our faith in Him.
The Israelites praised and worshiped the Lord directly after His provision in their lives. Yet not three days later, they complained to God why He had not provided water. How quick are we to praise God but then turn around just as quickly to shake our fist at Him? Let us remember God’s faithfulness to meet our emotional, spiritual and physical needs within His Will.
God is faithful in all His words and faithful in all His works (Psalm 145:13). God is righteous and sovereign to hear the prayers of His children.
As you navigate through the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, remember your Creator. Remember how we are not of this world, and examine what your trust may be rooted in.
Consider joining us in prayer for those who were greatly impacted by Hurricane Helene:
- Those in Western North Carolina.
- Those who lost loved ones.
- Those who have loved ones missing from the floods in WNC.
- Those who lost their homes.
- Everyone impacted by Hurricane Helene in the Upstate.
- The linemen deployed to restore power.
