Weathering Life's Storms

“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”   
Matthew 7:24-27 (The Message) 

When was the last time you checked your spiritual barometer? One man's failure to trust his readings cost him everything.   

On September 21st, 1938, a terrible hurricane struck the east coast of the United States. It was powerful and all-encompassing as a torrential 40-foot wave approached Long Island. But hours before, one man noticed a reading on his barometer below 29 where the dial read “hurricanes and tornadoes.” He shook it, and determining the instrument was broken, returned it.  

 When he got home his house had blown away. The barometer was correct–a storm was coming. But he didn’t believe it or live it.  

In today’s verse, Jesus teaches something important: the question isn't whether storms will come into your life—they will. The real question is whether what you've built will withstand them. 

How do you know if you’ve built your life on a firm foundation? Jesus explains that you’ll find out when a storm hits. You’ll never know the true strength of your faith until it’s tested.  

Your devotion to Jesus—whether in faithful church service, diligent Bible study, or fervent prayer—doesn't exempt you from life's storms; it equips you to withstand them. Jesus doesn’t promise you fair weather, but His peaceful and strengthening presence when the winds of life howl. 

Perhaps you’re in a storm right now. When the winds of difficulty blow against your life, God never leaves you abandoned–He’s right there with you.  

You’ve heard the saying, A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone whose life isn't.  

God’s Word is your barometer. It provides both warning of storms and inner strength to withstand them.  

 I’ve seen countless lives and miracles of rebuilding happen when you establish Christ and His Word as the cornerstone of your life. Open your Bible and trust Christ daily to build a life that stands firm now and forever.  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your teaching. Thank You for the warning and foundation of Your Word. You promise I’ll face storms and You also provide Your great and precious promises to sustain me. Let me hear your Word and obey it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.