Dan A. Rodriguez Articles, Books, and Podcasts
Religion & Spirituality:Christianity
Faith expects God's best. That being stated, sometimes preparation looks like you are expecting the worse, but that is not necessarily so. I say that because sometimes people express preparation before a hurricane like this, "Prepare for the worst, but expect the best." Since we had devastating hurricanes that hit Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, USVI, and other Caribbean islands last month (September 2017), I heard and read that statement repeatedly.
Some years ago, I began to see that preparation is never lost time, and it does not need to be done in fear. Faith does not mean that we are to fly by the seat of our pants living in a constant state of unpreparedness in the face of danger. No! Preparation can and should be done in faith.
A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory is from the Lord (Proverbs 21:31 NET).
A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; despite its great strength, it cannot deliver. Look, the Lord takes notice of his loyal followers, those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness by saving their lives from death and sustaining them during times of famine. We wait for the Lord; he is our deliverer and shield. For our hearts rejoice in him, for we trust in his holy name (Psalms 33:17-21 NET).
This is why armed forced train, drill, and practice, practice, practice! They prepare on every level for the day of battle. That is powerful, but it is not enough! We are to take it much further and put our trust firmly in the Lord for His supernatural protection.
Look at runners or boxers. Athletes prepare consistently and thoroughly IF they want to win! We are not preparing to fail, but to win. Paul used athletic preparation as an example:
Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So, run to win. Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. Instead, I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NET).
My heart and prayers are with all believers that went through those terrible hurricanes last month (September 2017). My wife and I prepared a lot before hurricane Irma, but at the same time, we were trusting for God's mighty protection according to Psalms 91.
We should notice two things about Psalms 91. First, sometimes God's deliverance is to keep harm away from you (it will not reach you- v.7 NET), and other times, God's mighty protection is manifested in the middle of the storm!
I will be with him when he is in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him honor (Psalms 91:15 NET).
Note that he (or she) was right smack in the middle of trouble, but God rescued him (or her).
There are a number of examples in Scripture of God taking people out of one kind of trouble or another, but here are five:
All the above means that sometimes your prayers will keep you away from the storm (or the storm away from you), and it won’t come near you. Other times, even with your prayers, you may go THROUGH a storm, but you can be delivered OUT of it IF your trust is in God!
In the days of the end, before the coming of the Lord, many horrors will happen on the earth. All of creation is groaning and convulsing in pain waiting for it’s deliverance from the curse, sin, darkness, and the corruption it was subjected to after the fall of Adam and Eve (Romans 8:18-22; Luke 21:25-28- Look at these verses in the Amplified Bible). Hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes are all evidence of this groaning and reeling with pain. Generally, they do not come because God pronounced a direct judgment on a specific area like He did on Sodom and Gomorrah, or on the whole world like He did in the flood in Genesis. Judgment has happened on certain occasions throughout history, but mostly (though not exclusively) these events are happening today because the planet is trying to get the curse off it! That day will come in the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth and in the new heavens and new earth. Glory to God! Come Lord Jesus!
The closer we get to the coming of the Lord, the more the earth and all of creation will groan and convulse. It's happening right now, and it's just the beginning. More than ever before, we need to read, study, and apply Psalms 91 to our lives every day.
The short teaching above is not covered in the podcast, so you are blessed with a double portion of God's Word.
Please hear the short podcast I recorded some time ago on Faith Expects God’s Best from the ongoing series: Removing Doubt from the Heart. Be mightily blessed with the Word and the anointing of the Holy Spirit that is on it!
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free