Fall is hurricane season in the southeastern United States as well as in the Caribbean islands. These violent, tropical storms usually have winds over 70 miles per hour and are often accompanied by heavy rains. Ocean tides rise much higher than normal, causing lots of damage to coastal areas. Hurricanes can even start small tornadoes when they reach land, which can cause further damage to homes and lives.
A few years ago, while I was working in the southern part of Florida, a hurricane developed in the Caribbean. The weathermen named it Hurricane Floyd. As I was going to work that morning, it was already moving toward the southern tip of Florida at about 15 miles per hour. Within the hurricane itself the winds had risen to about 80 miles per hour. That was strong enough to cause a lot of destruction, and so this was not a storm for people to ignore.
By noon, the weather reports were still warning that the storm was moving in the direction of south Florida, so all children were sent home from school early. The teachers didn’t want any children to be in school when the storm struck; they wanted them all safe at home.
Early in the afternoon, with the storm moving still closer, businesses closed down and also sent their workers home early. At each company before they went home, workers put up aluminum panels over every window. This would keep them from being broken by objects which were carried by the strong winds, if the hurricane or a tornado came close to their building.
On their way home many people stopped at grocery stores to buy extra food. If the storm stayed in the area for several days, nobody wanted to be stuck at home without enough food.
As I saw all of the preparations being made, I was impressed with how seriously everyone accepted the report that there was a dangerous storm moving in their direction. The fact of a coming storm also reminded me that God has warned us of another coming storm - the storm of God’s righteous judgment against our sins. We have all sinned; the Bible clearly tells us in Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23), “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” And not one sin can ever enter heaven. Instead, the storm of God’s punishment must fall on us, if we do not use the shelter He has provided from that storm.
Like many other people, I went home early that afternoon and stayed inside all evening. At any moment I was expecting to hear the wind howling outside and the rain start beating down. But when I got up the next morning, everything was calm outside, and it looked as though only a little rain had fallen. It turned out that the storm had moved back out to sea without touching much of the coast of southern Florida. Even the weathermen decided to rename Floyd a “tropical storm” instead of a “hurricane.” A tropical storm isn’t as powerful as a hurricane.
God has not only told us about the coming storm of judgment, He has also told us about the shelter He has provided for us because He loves us. He sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus, into this world. At the end of His perfect life in this world, the Lord Jesus was crucified. While He hung on that cross, God punished Him for sin. The awful storm of all God’s righteous anger against sin beat on His blessed head until, at the end of the three hours, He cried, “It is finished.” John 19:3030When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30). He suffered the full force of all that storm. Now, everyone who believes that the Lord Jesus bore all the punishment for their sins is safely sheltered from ever themselves having to go through that storm. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation [judgment]; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).
Just like all of the people who believed the weather reports that warned of the soon-coming storm and got ready for it, we also should believe God’s report and accept the only shelter that He has provided by believing in the Lord Jesus, our Deliverer from the coming wrath.
The next morning after the storm had passed, I heard many people laughing and even mocking the weathermen and all of the preparations that had been made for nothing. And there are many people who mock at God’s warnings also. But that does not change the fact that the Lord Jesus is going to come “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:88In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (2 Thessalonians 1:8). Those who are not sheltered by believing in the Lord Jesus and His precious blood which He shed on the cross to cleanse from all sin will spend all eternity in hell. There they themselves will be punished for all of their sins, and that punishment will never end.
How is it with you? Are you sheltered from that storm by the Lord Jesus, or will you have to face it alone?
ML-10/10/1993