It seems everyone has their eyes on their screens to see where Hurricane Isaias is now. My friend, Brenda in Pensacola is safe thus far, though last we texted she said the winds were terrifying. When my mom still lived north of Orlando, Florida, I spent time with her during Hurricane Jeanne. It’s nothing like what we face up north. Tornadoes last about ten minutes. Hurricane Jeanne spent three days howling over Mom’s house with the power off the entire time. Mom had faced many storms before and was calm, which helped me face it.
When natural disasters hit, whether in another state or across the world, we become anxious thinking of lives lost, families suffering, and what it would be like if it were us. As a follower of Jesus Christ, we may pray for those people or for ourselves if it’s our disaster, and He hears our cries for help. Brenda reads Psalm 91 when life throws a curve. It begins with this simple verse: “Lord, through all generations you have been our home!” It’s comforting to know He’s our safe place. Moses, the author of this psalm, goes on describing how God “sweeps people away like dreams that disappear.” Some may say that is cruel, but our God knows all about it and His timing and plans are laid out for us His children before we were ever born. Verse 10 says, “Seventy years are given to us. Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away.”
No matter what happens, we know that trusting Jesus is the answer for everything. Romans 5:11 says, “So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” Because we are His friends, we can trust that whether in life or death, He is with us. Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that “nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. . . No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We are safe with Jesus—now in a hurricane and forever in His loving presence!
