Fires and Floods, Oh My

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the LORD your God…your Savior. – Isaiah 43:2-3

This time of year, I’m reminded of the Hundred Year Flood that swept through Colorado three years ago.  In some ways, it feels like just yesterday that we were stranded up in the mountains with our main road partially washed away.  The stream near our house sounded like jet engine, overflowing its banks and taking down trees.  In town, the devastation was so much worse.  Houses were ruined, cars washed away, and a car full of teenagers was killed.  Tears fell like rain in much of Boulder, Colorado.

Just one year prior, in 2012, I stood on our back porch and watched a forest fire creep closer and closer to our house.  Firefighters worked around the clock dropping thousands of gallons of water from the sky, digging trenches and dousing spot fires that would pop up and jump ahead like grasshoppers right before our eyes. 

God tells us in Isaiah 43 that when the waters rise, He is with us.  When the fires rage, we are not alone because the creator, the LORD who made all the land and the seas is right there ready to save us.  

Rick Warren taught his congregation at Saddleback Church in Southern California that God saves us three different ways when we’re going through “storms of life.”

1. God saves us FROM the storm by giving us an escape plan.
2. God saves us THROUGH the storm by walking with us.
3. God saves us BY the storm because He changes us to be more like His son, Jesus.

I learned through the 2013 flood and the 2012 fire to look to God for help.  He is the anchor of my soul, where my hope comes from.  God taught me in both crisis’ to thank and praise Him no matter what.  Even while the rain falls or the fire grows, I can thank God because His presence is available anytime, anywhere.  Lastly, I learned to trust God more when life feels out of control.  I treasure this lessons learned while walking through the storms.   

The next time you find yourself being washed away by the storms of life, look up to God, and know you are not alone.  God is with you and He will either help you escape from the storm, walk you through it, or teach you something from it.  Continue to thank and praise God while the rain falls or the flames grow.  Praising God in the storm will change our perspectives momentarily and our outlooks for a lifetime.

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

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