Hurricane Irma: Waiting for Destruction but Praying for Peace

Irma is on my mind. 

I love the islands, the slower pace, and the simple way of life. I was married on Jamaica, vacationed in the Virgin Islands, and have friends and fellow missionaries in the Bahamas, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. I have family and friends in Florida.

I dread the devastating destruction that a category 5 hurricane can cause. There's nowhere I want Irma to make landfall. I've seen people praying God will shift the storm to the east. This morning, it appears Irma has shifted a little, but it won't stop the storm. It will put a different set of people I care about in harm's way. 

I'm praying the storm dissipates and doesn't make further landfall at all, even though it's already hit St. Martin and St. Barth. The livecam videos I've seen so far this morning look terrible. "Engulfed" is one description being offered of the storm's path through those islands. 

I don't want devastation for any island, any group of people. I hope you don't, either. 

This morning, I'm reminded of the nighttime storm that developed in the Sea of Galilee two centuries ago. It seemed as if the fishing boat they were in would surely sink. The disciples panicked. Jesus slept. 

When they roused him, He rolled off his makeshift cot, stood up, and raised His holy hands. "Peace, be still," He told the storm, and it did. (Mark 4:39) The storm stopped and the disciples moved from panic to a holy fear of the God-man before them. 

"He controls the wind and waves?" they asked each other in wonder. Yes, He does, they realized.

And He still does. Whether it's a storm of trouble in our lives, the aftermath of a storm that's recently hit, or a storm in the ocean that's raging toward land, our God can still command the storms.

As we await Irma's destructive force, please join me in praying what Jesus did when the storm threatened destruction so long ago. Peace. Be still. 

While we're praying peace for the storm, let's also pray that for ourselves. Peace. Be still. Ponder the majesty and wonder of the One who created and sustains this world and all that's in it. Bow before Him and thank Him that He hears our prayers and answers. 

Peace. Be still...

" Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: When You Want to be a Ninja Warrior but You Think You Can't

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Excitement in the Boat: The Wind of Judgment (part 5, Luke. 8:23)

But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. (Luke 8:23 NASB)

We saw yesterday that the word translated as "fierce gale" literally means a whirlwind or hurricane. The word translated as "wind" is a bit of a surprise. anemos does mean a violent, whirling wind, but is used in Jeremiah and Daniel to indicate the four compass points, or corners of the earth, and (in those passages) symbolizes the judgment of God. 

What a perfect word to describe our human condition! When we are trapped in the whirlwind that sin always brings, facing the consequences that always follow, as well as the discipline of God, our Lord is ever near and ready to come to our aid. Instead of calling out to Jesus in our need, what do we do?  We manage the whirlwind as best we can, bailing like crazy, and putting ourselves in unnecessary danger. 

There is a tendency to think, "Well, I got myself into this, and I can get myself out," but that is flawed thinking. If we could "get ourselves out" of the whirlwind resulting from sin, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross would not have been necessary. 

Dear ones, there is no better way to handle the whirlwinds we face, whether they be as a result of our own choices or the unfolding of life, than to cry out to the One who can still the storm. Are you facing a whirlwind? Whatever the source of the wind, Jesus can handle it. Cry out to Him in your need and on behalf of those you love. He is near and will not fail you. He can help, and He will. 

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The link to last night's Friday Night with Friends is here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/07/friday-night-with-friends-difference.html

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Our terrorist prayer focus this week is Abubakar Shekau. He is the leader of Boku Haram, a radical terrorist organization operating in northeastern Nigeria. He is particularly fond of kidnapping and murder, having kidnapped nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls (many who are still in captivity). Earlier this week, his forces captured a civilian-controlled town, murdered at least 100 people, and made the town his new headquarters. More than 22,000 have been killed in battle between his forces and the Nigerian military in the last few years. Earlier this week, two bombs in Abuja killed dozen more. Boku Haram is suspected. Please pray for an end to his reign of terror and for salvation for him and his men.