After the Storm

If you have ever lived in Florida, then you know the storms that come through here are what some people call “catostrophic or nothing to mess with.” But, even if these storms are what people have said, we walk by faith and not by sight. We trust that even in the middle of the storm, we are anchored to the source (Jesus) and in Him, we have nothing to fear. Before the storm, we are checking the raidar and hoping, praying that it doesn’t come at us. That we don’t get hit by the storm. We take every precaution, use sandbags, clear out anything outside we know is not stable enough to hold in a storm and move it. So now, we have done everything that was needed to be safe, the storm comes, destroying everything. Once the storm ends, fears, doubt, maybe tears, anger, all come up because of what was lost in the aftermath.

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten
    the great locust and the young locust,
    the other locusts and the locust swarm
my great army that I sent among you.
 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
    and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
    who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed.
Then you will know that I am in Israel,
    that I am the Lord your God,
    and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed. And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your old men will dream dreams,
    your young men will see visions.
 Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
 I will show wonders in the heavens
    and on the earth,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
    there will be deliverance,
    as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
    whom the Lord calls.”

Joel 2:25-32

What is God saying here? Whatever you have lost, I will restore twice as much as what was taken. this means, that no matter what you have lost, what happened, why it happened, God is in your corner. What the enemy meant for evil, God meant for good. (Genesis 50:20-21). The enemy thought he had you, but Jesus said, “you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1). He understands the grief and the loss. (Psalm 147:3; Matthew 11:28-30). He understands the anger and the fears (John 2:14-22), but even still, He shows up in the mess just like He will in the victories. This is all to say, Jesus understands what you are going through because He experienced all of those emotions too. Throughout scripture, he gives hope, for He is hope. “He gives love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galations 5:22-23). For that is who He is and what he does. Be encouraged today, that one day, the trumpet will blow and the alarm will sound. Jesus will come back again wrapped in glory and take up those in the graves and all the saints (those who are saved) and we will be in the heavenly places with god Almighty praising Him and giving Him glory.