There are times when we have to go ‘through’ the storms of life—financial hardships, deaths, sickness, heartache. But when you are a child of the Most High God with Jesus as Lord of your life you can face the winds of change—and these winds DO bring about change! What’s important is how we accept what God has given and has taken away—it’s all His anyway. As parents we have the right to give our children gifts and then we have the right to take them away if the gifts are misused, abused or if they will affect the safety of their lives. God is a jealous God and throughout history He has given to and taken away from His people. And there is always a reason for it. He loves us more than we love our own children so why wouldn’t He discipline us for our own good? This storm should be a wake-up call to many who have disregarded the Lord and have put up idols before Him—their homes and belongings, cars, businesses and even churches! Many churches were destroyed. Many church buildings have become idols and the contents within have become more important to its leaders and congregation than their relationship with God Himself.

Jesus says in John 14:15 “If you love me you’ll obey my commands.” It stands to reason if anyone is not in obedience to God then they do not love Him. Why would anyone who does not love the Lord think that they will go to Heaven when they die? But they do think that. It is often said that God is a loving God and He won’t send anyone to hell. That is not what the Bible says. In Matthew 7:21 Jesus says that not everyone who calls him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father (paraphrased). How many people are actually doing the will of the Father? Most people are doing their own will! God has a perfect will and perfect plan for each of our lives and we all need to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). We each need to seek His face and His righteousness and THEN all these things shall be added unto us (Matthew 6:33). Many people are seemingly blessed by being surrounded with material possessions and good health and successful businesses. But where did it come from? By their own hard work doing it their way putting all of that first in their lives? If what we have done with our lives has not been led by God then our ‘blessings’ are not of or from Him. Sometimes we go through seasons in our lives where everything seems to be great. Then when disaster strikes in any form, we want to blame God, wondering why He didn’t stop it. He allows many things to happen in our lives simply because they are a direct result or consequence of our own actions. When a major catastrophe such as a hurricane strikes we know that He did allow it and we need to be asking what He may be trying to teach us.