Hurricanes - Praise Him In The Storm

9.07.2008.Sermon.Hurricanes

By William Akehurst, HSWC

PRAISE HIM IN THE STORM

Yesterday we were in the middle of the storm.

Hurricane Hanna came up the coast and devastated portions of our coastline.

We dodged most of the bullet, but ...

On Friday morning, we were put in a state of alert. And told to take provisions by our Governor.

We were given fair warning.

We knew something bad was about to happen.

What did we do?

What was our first defense?

Some of us did whatever it was we knew we needed to do. Toilet paper, Milk, Eggs, Bottled Water, etc.

Sounds more like a winter event doesn’t it?

Psalm 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Luke 8

22Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.

23But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.

24And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.

25And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.

STORMS OF LIFE

We all have times in our lives where we felt the winds of change begin to blow. Then, that sinking feeling in the pit of our stomachs, where you can’t eat, and you can’t sleep. There is no rest. We feel like the whole world is crashing down on us.

How many times do we allow the storms to consume us. To take us down. Many more times than we desire to remember, I must say.

And when we allow these things, these troubled times to eat at us, we find ourselves deeper and deeper in despair.

Perhaps even to the point of bringing on ourselves depression, anxiety. We feel closed in, perhaps, or we take refuge in a hole so to speak. Cutting ourselves off from our surroundings.

This is exactly where Satan wants you. He desires to tantalize us until we break. Even desiring us to do something unthinkable.

But we must be strong, and courageous. We are given the power through the blood of Jesus Christ to overcome these things.

STRONG AND COURAGEOUS

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

OVERCOMERS

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

1John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

PRAY

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Matthew 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

HURRICANE SEASON

From a recent email I had received

* * * * *

With the impending Hurricanes, many of the governors and religious groups told their citizens to pray that God would spare their cities.

Fox-hole and Storm Shelter "Saints" at prayer.

Something to pray about! Or is it "Something to PRAISE about --- to be thankful for and to verbalize!"

Praying Before A Hurricane Hits

You probably noticed the amazing number of references to the problems predicted by Hurricane Gustave followed by the sound bite admonitions about praying that the tragedy be averted or at least minimal.

Pray! Pray! Pray! ... Pray that God will spare us. We heard it from national leaders, news reporters, and even the mayor of New Orleans! "Pray!”