The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Matt. 7:24-27 "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."

How is your house doing in the storm? No, not your house of wood and nails, but your spiritual house. Who you are. You and I are a spiritual house living in a fleshly house, our bodies. The fleshly house we live in is going away and the wood and nail and brick house our fleshly body and spiritual us lives in is deteriorating, as well. God is not as interested in your home address nor your fleshly body as He is you who lives in it all. So, our Scripture reading is talking about the condition of your spiritual life, you.

Is your spiritual life, your inner-being, built upon the Rock Christ and what His Word promises or upon the sand, which is the opinion and promise of a fallen and continual falling world? What or who do you trust to see you through in the storms of life? Do you give it up to the Lord Jesus as your Savior and Lord, or do you fret with the world that cannot see hope?

Laura came and went leaving behind another landscape of debris and heartache. Your survival physically required wisdom to listen to the professionals as to stay or go. It was what you imagined was happening while you were out and then what the reality was when you returned.

The most important part is how did your emotional and spiritual life handle it all? While you were out, did you just turn the results over to the Lord who rules heaven and earth, trusting Him with your belongings and their destiny, or were you a caving wreck. More so, when you returned, did you accept and trust God for the assessment of your house and belongings? It all depends on what you were building your life upon before this storm came. Was it Jesus' godly wisdom, His Word of promise?

When I drove away to San Antonio to evacuate, I had to leave a life time library, furniture just replaced from Imelda, when we lost two cars also. The year before was Hurricane Harvey when our living room flooded, but that was minor as a majority of homes went way under water. I also had lung cancer 5 years ago and it looks like I have it again, so I tell you all of this so that I can say legitimately, "I understand the pressure of such times as this. I surrendered my life to Jesus as my Lord and Savior in 1965 and learned through the years that material losses are to be accepted like Job did. He said, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." It is first all the Lord's and then on loan to us. If He wants to destroy what is His, that's His business. As for any consequences in my life, if He can't see me through those, there is literally no one else nor anything else that can. In under 55 years of His care, I have survived more than one life threatening event and the loss of some of the most important things in life, but by His sovereign grace and power here I stand. He is carrying me through life into His arms one day, and He is in charge of that timing and my care between here and there, and anything I suffer will never compare to His suffering for me on the cross to secure my place in heaven after this life. I received Him as my Lord and Savior and He said that He would never lose me and would be with me at all times all the way into heaven. Suffering is a part of a fallen world and a fallen body in sin, but the salvation from that is established in Christ Jesus and will be fully accomplished in heaven by HIM. So, let the storms of life come. My destiny where there are no storms, no sickness, no sorrow and no death is secure in Christ Jesus. Let's give thanks for all things, knowing in our inner man, that house built upon the Rock, Jesus. Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Charles Empey pastors Cove Baptist Church, Orange, TX.