Katrina to Gustav: God’s Leading In the Midst of Life’s Storms

Last night we had a time of testimonies and praise at Bethel. I shared what has been on my mind for several days now, since I heard of the approach of Gustav almost exactly three years away from Katrina. It reminded me of a time of God’s mercy and leading in our lives.

Katrina made landfall on a Monday morning and that evening, Angie and I were driving home from preaching in view of a call for an Associate ministry position in Jacksonville, Texas. It was a time of real confusion in our lives. We knew that God was stirring us out of a nest, we just weren’t sure where to go. We left for Texas sure that we were looking for our new home and we came back bewildered.

After dinner in the home of one of my mentors, we headed across Arkansas, totally unaware of what we would encounter in Memphis. The wind was so strong our van was being blown all over the I-40 bridge crossing the Mississippi. It was quite terrifying. The suburbs of Memphis were blacked out and hotels were full. We had to keep driving.

We finally found a place to stop for the night in Jackson, Tennessee and made it home the next day. So many lives were changed forever that weekend because of the storm. Some lost their lives, their loved ones, and their homes. Others were relocated and experienced career changes and culture shock. Southern towns doubled in size while others shrank to nothing. And we experienced God’s voice telling us to simply trust Him.

Psalm 53:6 says “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” We don’t always know what God has in mind. We can’t predict the future and we don’t always get to decide it, but we can trust Him. Fear is a real emotion that the psalmist doesn’t deny. The question is, what do we do with our fear? We trust Him. We follow Him. In the blinding and howling winds of life, He knows the way.

The Bible lets us know that every time natural disaster strikes, it’s a reminder of the power and fury of God toward sin (don’t misunderstand – not every disaster is a direct judgment against sin), but also of God’s mercy to spare, to protect, and to work in the lives of His people through it all. What time you are afraid, you can trust Him.