Hurricanes are among the most powerful and deadliest forces in nature. Some of their effects, such as storm surges and flooding, are perhaps the most dangerous and destructive aspects. The inland effects of winds and heavy rains can also damage businesses, homes, and communities. People are now more aware than ever of how devastating hurricanes can be, yet when faced with its impending danger, many will still not heed the warnings to evacuate. They fear leaving their homes, because they don’t want to lose what matters most to them. Any compassionate person can appreciate feeling this way. All of us will try to protect the things that mean the most to us, but the truth is that only God can protect us and the people and things we love. Seeking His covering should be our constant aim.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith. We must have faith in His Word, and this means that our minds must be renewed. In His Word, God tells us all the good things He has planned for us, but sometimes we don’t believe in what He says. We have this fear in our minds and hearts, and it tricks us into not trusting God in the way that we should. It also makes people risk losing their lives trying to protect the wrong things. Negative believing and wrong thoughts can be as damaging as hurricane force winds. They can sweep our destinies away and cause us to evacuate God’s purpose. This can happen when you leave your mind and thought life-unprotected.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT) tells us, “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears.” It’s Heavenly Father’s good pleasure and delight to bless, protect and care for us. We’re His children, and as His children, He requires us to lean on Him for everything. He tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6(NLT), “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” He warns us about leaning on our own understanding because we don’t see what He sees. We only see what is right in front of us and can’t see all the fine details and the long range outcome that Heavenly Father sees. The remedy for our shortsightedness is to seek His Will in all that we do, and He will show us which way to go.
You and I have to be reminded of this continually, because it is very easy for the mind to slip back to those old patterns of wrong believing. God tells us in Ephesians 4:23 to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. To renew is to make new again. It isn’t something that we can do and then forget about it. Renewal is a continuous process that requires consistent and persistent effort on our parts. The storms will come, and strong winds will blow. Many Christians have been carried away from the faith because they hadn’t anchored the Word of God in their hearts and minds. They were trapped in the eye of the storm.
The principle that cherished things can be protected by guarding the perimeter holds true only to the extent that we begin with guarding our own minds. Our first line of defense is always going to be reminding ourselves of what God says and renewing our minds to His promises. We can avoid massive clean-up and stay calm during the storms of life when our faith is firmly planted in God through the Lord Jesus Christ. We should guard our hearts against bitterness, fear, pride, deceitfulness, or any other remnant of darkness; and we must root out any thoughts of these things as well. Instead, Psalm 37:4 tells us to delight ourselves in the Lord and think always on His goodness. When we do this, He will bless, protect, and care for us; as well as the people and things we love most.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Protecting the Perimeter”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.