What do I trust in a hurricane?

During the night, I woke several times and prayed for people in the path of Hurricane Irma, particularly those who decided to stay after repeated warnings to evacuate. Many seem oblivious to what they are up against.

I also prayed the storm would change course enough to spare them, but at this hour the eye is bearing down and has not yet made landfall in Florida.

Yesterday, the media interviewed several people who decided to stay. They were saying things like, “We will be okay” or “we will take our chances...” or “we’ve been through this before.” With a knot in my gut, those remarks reminded me of what some people say when warned of their need to get right with God. Instead of fleeing to the certainty of His redemption promises, they reply, “I’ll hope for the best” or “I’ll take my chances.” The difference between trying to weather out a storm and trying to escape the judgment of God has those comments in common, but there is one difference — the storm might veer off or abate, but God’s judgement is certain . . .

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27–28)

Confidence that “I will be okay” will not save anyone from certain disaster. The OT people of God were confident because they were His ‘chosen’ people, but they turned away from God. God warned them. The prophets warned them. So did Solomon, the wisest of men, warn them. He said . . .

“Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” (Proverbs 1:24–33)

After decades of warnings, the Lord finally said: “Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone.” (Hosea 4:17) God was done with His warnings and fell silent for more than four hundred years.

The NT speaks of those ‘chosen’ people whose error was their smugness and unbelief. But God made it clear that anyone else who heard the gospel and ignored it could not assume they were safe. These people might say that Israel was broken off because of their unbelief, but they would stand fast through faith, yet God warned them against pride. He told them not to take His kindness for granted as they did, comparing their situation to branches grafted into a tree . . .

“For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.” (Romans 11:17–24)

This does not speak to individuals, but to those who have heard the Gospel and consider themselves part of Christianity, but have not chosen faith in Christ as the foundation for their faith. Like Israel, they began well, but needed to continue, to listen and trust the Lord rather than relying on their own understanding. These people are saying, “I believe Jesus existed and is a good example for me, but I do not need to give my life to Christ because I can get along well without Him.”

That sounds outrageous to me, yet I’ve heard people say it. They are not worried about God’s wrath against sin or His judgement because they think they can weather it out by themselves. This might work for those who decide to face hurricanes rather than flee, but neither have any idea what they are up against.

^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, my stomach is still in knots. The hurricane can take people to a watery grave, people who have put their trust in themselves. God’s wrath is far worse in that what we do about its warnings determines our eternal destiny. A person might die in a storm, but if their faith is in You, no matter what happens here, they will never die.