The storms are coming

We hear of natural disasters all the time - complete with winds, rains, and the raging waters of tides overwhelming land.  In those places where such devastation occurs, we often see structures which appeared okay on the outside being totally destroyed by the floods which came or the winds which blew with gale force.  What gave the appearance of being "built well" may not have been "planned" well, nor "maintained" well!  There is a difference between erecting a structure and then erecting one which will withstand the forces which come against it!

Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It didn’t fall because it was firmly set on bedrock. But everybody who hears these words of mine and doesn’t put them into practice will be like a fool who built a house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It fell and was completely destroyed.  (Matthew 7:24-27 CEB)

As Jesus spoke with the disciples (his followers) those many years ago, he gave us all some insight into how we "build" in our lives which we will do well to consider. First and foremost, we can count on storms coming - it is not something we can avoid in life.  We cannot find a place on this earth where we can escape the ups and downs of the weather - nor can we find a place in this world where we can totally avoid the good and the bad in life which comes as a matter of being part of this human race.  If we cannot avoid the storms, then we had better look at what Jesus said about being prepared for them!

- The foundation is what matters.  As we go through life, it doesn't matter how well we "decorate" our lives with this talent or that skill.  It matters what "foundation" we create in our lives.  In terms of foundations, it is more than the "materials" used for the foundation, but also the placement of that foundation into something which will remain strong "underneath" that foundation.  This is what Jesus refers to as "bedrock".  Two foundations are contrasted - one is sand, the other is bedrock.  We can erect a structure upon both, but one will erode away under the pressures of wind and water, while the other will resist these pressures because it has an "anchor". In life, we need the right "anchor" upon which we build - not just the right tools and materials with which to build.

- The materials must be put to use.  I have a home improvement store (one of those huge ones) about one mile from the house. I love to take time to go up and down the aisles exploring the various things they have there.  If I could have my "run of the store" without worrying about paying for the stuff, I'd be in "heaven on earth"! From the little fasteners which seemingly disappear as they are put into the wood, or the drill bit adapter which creates that perfect angle by which you get that screw in at a perfect 45 degree angle, I could create and create and create!  As long as those tools and materials remain at the local home improvement store, they are just dreams to me.  The same is true of the materials God gives us - unless we actually take them into our possession and put them to use in our lives, they are simply dreams we hold.  We have been given great resources, but if we don't put into practice the Word of God, it is like a great pile of resources which goes untapped.

- The storms will come, but we don't have to be obsessed with them. I don't make a living staring at those radar screens like the meteorologists do at our local TV stations.  Their mission in life is to give us as much "early warning" of inclement weather as possible so we stay safe and are prepared for what will come. If I spent all my life watching the horizon for what may come next, I would miss out on what is right in front of me today.  The wise builder doesn't build "in the moment", reinforcing the structure for whatever "weather" is predicted for the day.  He prepares for what will come by building for all manner of weather.  He doesn't build in a flood-plane because he knows waters might come in such force so as to wash away his hard work.  He doesn't forget to nail down the shingles because he knows the winds will come and leave him exposed if he does.  He doesn't neglect sealing the cracks and crevices because he knows the heat and cold will seek a way inside, making life hard to bear if he does.  He prepares in advance of what comes. I think we can take a lesson here - not to be so concerned about what will come, but to allow the right attention to the details of what gets "worked into" our lives up front so that we are prepared when the issues arise which come against us like gale force winds and raging currents.  Just sayin!

Be Prepared!

Prepared:  properly expectant, organized, or equipped; ready; to put in proper condition or readiness.  The opposite of being prepared is being rather disorganized or unaware.  There are probably a lot of things in life we are neither prepared for, nor equipped to handle at the moment.  They seem to creep up on us and then we are scrambling to find the solution and just struggling the whole time to keep our heads above water.  There are numerous times we are admonished in scripture to "prepare" or "be prepared". All of them have to do with getting the right frame of reference, right frame of mind, or the right frame of spirit.

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.  (Ephesians 6:13-18 MSG)

The right frame of reference helps us to determine our "orientation" in the whole process.  We get our feet on the ground, steadying ourselves for what lies ahead.  The right frame of mind helps us to get our head in the game. We focus our attentions and our thinking abilities on the issues at hand.  The right frame of spirit is often overlooked in our preparation processes.  We just plug right along without taking the time to get ourselves as "rooted" as we can in the Word, time in God's presence, and/or ensuring we have brought ourselves and our needs before the one who has the ability to take care of both.

The word to us this morning is pretty straight forward:  We are up against more than we can handle.  That being the case, I think it is wise to have a game plan which far outweighs our own abilities and assets.  When we get things in order the way God wants us to, it is like we are stashing away secret weapons in our defensive and offensive arsenal which we can use whenever we have the need.  When we have both the offensive and defensive weaponry, we are pretty well fit.  Try fighting the battle with only defensive weaponry such as a shield or a helmet, and you will find yourself able to ward off a few of the jabs of the swords and arrows coming your way, but you won't leave any "marks" on your enemy!  You need the offensive weaponry of the sword, dagger, and such to actually cause him a little pain of his own!

There are a lot of things which help us to "get ready" in life, but none as precious or important to us than the "things" God provides for our safety and protection.  When we get in the car, we buckle the seat belt.  It is a means of ensuring our greatest opportunity to survive in a wreck. It is a defensive weapon.  When we are behind the wheel, attentive to oncoming traffic, the changes in the traffic flow, and the merging of other vehicles into our path, we are driving defensively.  Both are necessary to ensure the journey is made with the least amount of unnecessary heartache and headache!  Why then do we try to go through our lives without the same attentiveness toward the offensive and defensive weaponry God provides us for our protection?  Isn't it kind of silly to invest so much into our "natural" lives and then neglect our "spiritual"?  Paul was reminding us of just this point - we need to be ready - inside and out!

Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them.   Truth - that which conforms to reality. Righteousness - that which is alignment with acceptable standards of morality, justice and uprightness.  Faith - confidence or trust in that which is outside of our own ability.  Salvation - the state of being protected from harm. Paul focuses us on these four things because they are interrelated in both our defensive and offensive arsenal.  When we have a firm understanding of what is real, we are not duped by what is not.  When we stand upon what is aligned with the principles of God, we find our ability to ward off attack is better simply because our "footing" is solid.  When there is confidence in something other than our own ability, talent, or treasure, there is boldness to take on the attack, but also drive with which to push back the enemy!

So, if we want to be "prepared", it means we get the right frame of reference, right frame of mind, or the right frame of spirit.  One without the other is leaving us with some "hole" in our defense, or standing without anything with which to strike out an "offensive" blow!  Just sayin!