Natural Disasters

As I, with many of you, watched the hurricane over the Atlantic Ocean heading for Florida, I felt helpless. So many people in the path of the storm to come. So much damage to be inflicted upon the areas that the hurricane reaches.

Now, we’re seeing the aftermath of the storm on the Bahamas and it’s heading toward North Carolina.  I don’t know how many lives are lost, or even changed. But, it’s devastating to so many.

Here’s my devotion this week:

Pray. Pray for peace that surpasses all understanding. The peace that only comes from our wonderful Father above. Pray for God to put it on the hearts of all who can, to go above and beyond to help those that just lost everything. Pray for the hearts of those that cannot do what James, Jesus’ half brother described as “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3). Or like the Apostle Paul sent to the Roman Church brothers and sisters, ” Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5 ESV). There are people all over this planet that do not have joy that surpasses all understanding, and certainly not in times of utter devastation. Pray that believers from all over will rush in to show the love given to us by Jesus, and long for them to know his love for them that he poured out on the cross at Calvary.  Pray that the Lord will go before them to soften hearts and fight the spiritual battles that the enemy is already stirring against people.

Pray. Pray without ceasing for other human beings who are going through unimaginable loss and devastation. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to do whatever you need to do to help those in need. It may be sending things you no longer have need for. It may be donating financially to a worthy ministry. It may be going and being the hands and feet and using your God-given talents to help rebuild.

Pray for them – that’s my devotion this week.