By Steve Horn
A few days ago I wrote about some spiritual lessons that we can learn from catastrophic events. Let me continue with a few additional thoughts today.
- Advanced preparation is the key.
In all matters of life, we must get ready well in advance of the problem. The time to prepare for eternity is now. The time to prepare for God’s calling on your life is now. The time to gain spiritual maturity is now.
- The next crisis is coming.
You don’t like to hear that, but it is true. The next crisis of life is coming, so…
- We are going to have to learn to put our faith into practice.
And…
- Because the future is uncertain, we must know the One who holds the future.
Corrie Ten Boom said, ““Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
- It really is true what Jesus said, “Don’t Worry about tomorrow.”
The rest of that quote is “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
- We are all in this thing together.
Have you ever noticed that during crisis, we are all in it together? Why does it take something like a flood or hurricane to cause us to remember that we need each other?
- I will never completely understand the mercy of God.
Why did some communities and families get hit so hard, while others escaped? “Sometimes God calms the storm; sometimes God calms the sailor.” Both are examples of the mercy of God.
- Always give thanks!
Habakkuk 3:17-19 says:
Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The LORD God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.
It’s a hymn of faith in the midst of a crisis!
Steve Horn is executive director for Louisiana Baptists. This editorial first appeared on the Louisiana Baptists website.