As the weekend draws nearer to Florida so does Hurricane Irma. A record-breaking Atlantic storm which has already devastated a number of Caribbean islands appears to be headed for landfall in Florida sometime Sunday morning. Several of us have friends and relatives living in Florida so we are rightly concerned for their safety. As we continue to pray for the reparation of all the damage done to the Houston area by Hurricane Harvey, I ask for your prayers for the people of Florida as they prepare to face the violent winds and waters headed their way. Pray for safety for the residents and for the storm to dissipate or turn back to sea. Pray also for the rescue workers and repair crews being called in to help. Above all, pray for God to be glorified as a result of these storms. May His love, compassion, and mercy shine through and bring people to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. May all those affected by the storm praise God for the strength to withstand such tragic losses.
I saw a T-Shirt the other day with the following words printed over a picture of an armor suit (full armor of God): “The Devil whispered in my ear today ‘you are not strong enough to withstand the storm.’ I replied, ‘I am a chosen child of The Living God. I am bold. I am courageous. I AM the Storm!’”
As children of The Living God, we are empowered by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit – the full power of God literally lives in us! So, we have a choice to make; we can choose to try to endure the storms of life, or we can choose to use the power of God available to each and every follower of Christ and be the storm which brings fear and dread to Satan. Remember that the victory already belongs to the children of God – we just have to claim it. Philippians 2: 10-11 assures us that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Pray in faith, live in strength.
-Pastor Dave Jones