"Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared."
Proverbs 3:25-26
I am not afraid.
"Have no fear of sudden disaster," the Lord tells us.
Honestly, as a hurricane bears down on the coast, this verse is a mantra I have to keep telling myself.
I live in Charleston, South Carolina. Early this morning, it was a beautiful day in the Lowcountry - Sunny and 75, as Joe Nichols sings. If not for modern media, we'd have no idea what we're in for.
See the map below.
Photo from Hurricane Tracker's twitter page. Click on photo for link.
If you live in a vacuum and haven't heard the news for the past week, Hurricane Florence, a strong category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 130mph and literally tons and tons of rain, is heading our way.
We know it's coming. We just don't know exactly where or how hard it will hit. We're preparing, packing, and planning to evacuate.
The question is: where is the safest place to go? We have options - good ones - free places to stay with family or friends. So do we head north or south? Which is the opposite of the storm's direction?
That's Living in the Cone of Uncertainty.
Photo from Hurricane Tracker's twitter page. Click on photo for link.
But don't we ALL live in a "cone of uncertainty" - every single day?
Each decision we make includes a range of possibilities. Within the "cone" may be several viable options, whether our choice involves a new home, a new career, or a new relationship. The cone may be as wide as the United States or as narrow as our home town.
As we embark on any decision on any given day, we are faced with cones of uncertainty.
Cereal or eggs for breakfast? Take the freeway or the back roads? Go to the event or opt out?
Even the smallest decisions carry a cone of uncertainty - a set of circumstances resulting from that choice that can alter our day, our week, or even our life.
That's why we need to trust and rely on our Savior in EVERY decision we make. What we eat affects our health, what road we travel alters whether we avoid an accident, and where we go impacts the people and opportunities we meet. And sometimes rest is what we need most.
The trouble is - we don't know until we get there. Will my body need energy or strength today? Where will the traffic be worst? Who will attend the event? Will I be energized or drained?
Will Florence track north or south?
Photo from Hurricane Tracker's twitter page. Click on photo for link.
God only knows! Literally, folks!
ONLY GOD knows the future. ONLY GOD sees the big picture. ONLY GOD controls our fate.
So let's PRAY before every decision we make. Let's seek God's guidance through His Holy Word.
Then let's practice that childhood song from Sunday School - TRUST AND OBEY.
And have no fear of sudden disaster. The Lord will be at your side.
Dear Lord, please guide our directions and decisions this day. Lead everyone to safety, diminish this storm, and protect your people, Lord from sudden disaster. We praise and honor You, we love You and trust in You. In Jesus' name, Amen.