A Storm Is Coming
By David Faust
If you pay attention, you can tell when a storm is coming. Dark clouds gather on the horizon and thunder rumbles before the wind and rain arrive. Radar pinpoints the location of an approaching tornado or hurricane. In the winter, forecasters warn when blizzards are on the way.
Four commonsense strategies will enable you to survive an approaching storm: (1) Prepare ahead. Don’t wait till the wind is already blowing. Decide your survival strategy in advance. (2) Heed wise warnings. Stay informed. Don’t listen to alarmists who fan hysteria and overdramatize every weather event, but pay attention to reputable meteorologists who warn about dangerous storms. (3) Find shelter. Don’t stubbornly assume you are exempt from danger. Go to a safe place where you can ride out the storm. (4) Help others. Make sure your family, friends, and neighbors are aware of the approaching danger so they can find their way to a safe place, too.
THE STORM OF GOD’S JUDGMENT
The Old Testament prophets spoke about “the day of the Lord” as a time when God would judge his enemies. “The day of the Lord is near for all nations,” warned the prophet Obadiah (v. 15). In the New Testament, the “day of the Lord” refers to an approaching time of reckoning, but it also includes notes of hope, joy, and victory for God’s people. It is called,
- the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:5),
- the day of judgment (Matthew 10:15; Romans 2:16),
- the day God visits us (1 Peter 2:12),
- the great day (Jude 6; Revelation 6:17),
- that day (Matthew 7:22; 2 Timothy 4:8),
- the day of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Philippians 1:6, 10; 2:16),
- or simply “the Day” (1 Corinthians 3:13).
Biblical faith rejects the idea that history merely repeats itself in a pointless, endless cycle. The Lord has a goal in mind and a purpose to fulfill. The universe is headed toward a climactic end—the consummation of the ages orchestrated by the Lord himself. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. We live in the middle—believing what God has done in the past, trusting him in the present, and looking toward the future with hope.
God’s judgment is ahead. The four commonsense strategies mentioned above remind us how to survive the storm. (1) Prepare. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Make sure your soul is right with God. (2) Heed wise warnings. Take God’s Word seriously. Don’t ignore or dismiss what the Bible says. (3) Find shelter. The Lord wants to be your safe place—your refuge and strength. (4) Help others. Make every effort to ensure that your family, friends, and neighbors know the Lord.
Jesus talked about storms. He told about a wise man who prepared for the wind and rain by building his house on rock while a foolish man built his house on sand. Both houses faced the same kind of storm, but the one with a firm foundation survived while the house built on sand crashed to the ground (Matthew 7:24-27). In that Gospel’s very next chapter, Jesus and his disciples survived a furious storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus “rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm” (Matthew 8:23-27).
Life brings many storms, and the Lord is the one who can calm them. Whatever lies ahead—including the final judgment—it’s safer to go through a storm with Jesus than to be anywhere else without him.
Personal Challenge: How often do you think about the Judgment Day? Jesus said a time is coming when “those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned” (John 5:28-29). Jesus also said, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). Thank the Lord that because of his grace, you do not have to face condemnation (Romans 8:1).
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