the basic message #E360
8/28/05
As I write this, Hurricane Katrina seems to be headed directly for New Orleans. We're told it will probably be a Category 5 storm before it makes landfall tomorrow. We live about 70 miles northwest of New Orleans, but we'll probably still see some very high winds and some loss of electricity at some point as tomorrow arrives. Should we be worried?
Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So it appears the Bible tells us not to worry about tomorrow, right? Yes and no. To be able to minimize or eliminate worry in our lives, we must back up to verse 33:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
The modern Christian church has largely decided we can "claim" all of the benefits God has to offer, yet do nothing for God in exchange. That's simply not true, regardless of what Ken Copeland and Creflo Dollar have to say. I was watching some New Orleans TV stations this morning and stumbled across Jessie Duplantis, who apparently graduated from the same "God owes you a blessing" school as Copeland and Dollar. But, I digress. What are the main fears people have when a "killer" storm is imminent? It depends on an individual's perspective, but in my case, I worry about property damage first, then if the situation worsens, I begin to shift gears and worry about the personal safety of my family. Once again, the Bible tells us about amassing property:
Matthew 6:19-21
"Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Two days ago, Hurricane Katrina was south Florida's problem. As we watched the news and listened to the reports, we thought, "those poor people in Florida". We now are coming to grips with the fact that Katrina was a Category 2 when it hit Florida, and as I said earlier, it will probably be a Category 5 when it visits us. Up to the time we are faced with the potential of personal loss, what are we concerned about? "Stuff" The Bible tells us not to store up treasures on earth, yet that's exactly what most of us do. What are those possessions worth if we lose our lives? Not much.
Just who sends "killer" storms, anyway? The "it's all good" Christians out there will quickly tell us anything bad comes from Satan. Really? I didn't think Satan could control the weather- I thought that right belonged solely to God. Personally, I think God has to do some pretty dramatic things to get our attention. Does that mean God will punish us when we're bad? I prefer to think of it as discipline rather than punishment, but regardless, it still gets our attention. It has been reported that New Orleans could see as much as a 20 foot tidal surge, which would submerge much of the city. Jesus talked about floods and people during his public ministry:
Matthew 24:38-39
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the son of Man.
Perhaps it's a stretch on my part to compare the potential flood tomorrow to the flood Noah and his family had to deal with, but can we agree that up to a few days ago life simply went on in the New Orleans area? I saw several people interviewed on TV last night that live almost directly in the projected landfall of the storm. One elderly man told the reporter that he would ride out the storm. His family was busy boiling shrimp Saturday night and enjoying a family meal. One man said, in essence, "If God wants to take us, we'll go on a full stomach". Read the passage above once more: "eating and drinking".
The bottom line is very simple: are we walking with God daily? Do we live our lives trying to figure out how to get more material things for ourselves rather than expressing concern for the less fortunate? Are we making our discipleship a higher priority than our careers? Are we more interested in taking our kids to soccer practice than Sunday School? Do we waste valuable time lamenting the loss of prayer in our schools rather than using that time to pray? Perhaps we've veered too far away from simply being ready, on a daily basis, to meet our maker. There is nothing more important in the world, yet we routinely postpone our thoughts about meeting God. Hurricane Katrina will be relegated to history this time next week, but our lives are always fragile. Isn't it time to get serious about considering out ultimate appointment with God/
[Hit Counter]