Monday, August 28th, 2017

News of the devastation in Texas after Hurricane Harvey has been tough to watch and heartbreaking for all. It is terrible events like this that cause many to look to the skies and ask God, "Why?" We have all heard the old sayings that God "works in mysterious ways" and "has a reason for everything." But in incredibly difficult times like this, those old sayings don't seem to suffice. Our anger, confusion, and sorrow needs something more than just a tried and true aphorism. In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes that "if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Many times Paul calls us to live our lives with an eternal perspective, and that our home on earth is not our real home. But he makes it especially clear here, calling our earthly home a "tent" compared to the "building from God." His message is clear: nothing we construct on earth can withstand the power of our God. Placing our faith anywhere but in God is like riding out a hurricane in a tent. So what are we to do then? We must have faith that the God that has always been in control is still in control; that the God who has always loved us still loves us; and the God who has always delivered us will continue to deliver us to a new and hopeful future. Pray today for those affected by Hurricane Harvey, for God's continued control, love, and deliverance through the storm.

"For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." -- 2 Corinthians 5:1 ESV