My friend Dave was a veteran sailor, and our family got to enjoy his seamanship several times when we were guests on his sailboat. Of course, I asked him tons of questions, but I was never able to stump him. I remember the day we were leaving the harbor, and I asked him about those big open gates we sailed through on our way out into the Sound. He said, "Oh, those are hurricane gates" - which it turns out are closed when hurricanes are approaching so the boats that are anchored in the harbor are protected from the worst of the storm. Interestingly enough, that very afternoon, Dave sensed a surprise storm coming up, so we raced the storm and just before it cut loose, we made it back to safety inside the hurricane gates.
You never know when a powerful storm is going to blow into your life. Maybe one, or maybe several, have blown into your life recently. Life has so many variables, so many un-predictables in it today that if you're not in a storm, you know you're probably going to be.
There's nothing you can do to stop most of life's storms, whether it's medical or relational, financial, things at work, things at school, at home. There are things that are out of your control, but you can have a harbor that protects you from going down. There is a hurricane gate where you can always be safe no matter what.
I remember one day when the stock market was absolutely tanking - it was a day of huge losses. I was sitting in an airport lounge watch on TV as this drama unfolded on the trading floor on Wall Street. I had just gotten my Bible out, and I had it in my lap. This very well dressed businessman suddenly zoomed by me with his suitcase following him on wheels. He looked at the TV for a moment, he absorbed the horrendous financial news, and he wheeled around to go chase his plane. But as he brushed past me, he looked at the Bible in my lap and he said, "I guess that's the right book to have on a day like today." He was right. When you belong to Jesus Christ, your anchor holds, no matter what else is caving in.
Our word for today from the Word of God in Psalm 112:6 talks about the complete security of the person whose sins have been forgiven and who is, therefore, really close to God. The Bible says, "Surely he will never be shaken ... he will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord." Now, imagine this - no fear of bad news - un-sinkable, no matter what hits you.
That kind of un-shakeability is for a man or woman who knows they are totally in God's hands. That relationship begins the day you acknowledge to God that you are done running your own life, that you actually deserve the death penalty the Bible says there is for sinning, and that your only hope is God's Son, Jesus, who died to remove everything that keeps you from belonging to God. At that point, Jesus Christ enters your life, takes it in His all-powerful hands, and gives you a love, and a peace, and a future that nothing on earth can take away from you!
If you're ready for that kind of security, then it's time for you to tell Jesus that you want to begin your personal relationship with Him - that you are totally trusting Him and His death on the cross for you; believing that the Man who walked out of His grave under His own power is bigger than anything you will ever face. If that's what you want, if you want to belong to Him, then I want to invite you to our website yoursforlife.net. We really set it up to provide a simple and non-religious explanation of exactly how to get started with Jesus Christ. Let me invite you there. Again, it's yoursforlife.net. Or I'd be happy to send this to you in booklet form. It's called "Yours For Life" and you can have it just by calling us toll free at 877-741-1200.
Jesus offers to you the one totally safe place in a world full of storms, and he's waiting to welcome you right now.
If you're not sure you belong to Jesus, and you would like to make sure today, Ron would like to send to you a free copy of the booklet, "Yours for Life: How to Have Life's Most Important Relationship." To read it online, click here: Click Here
OR, to request your free copy of "Yours for Life," click here: Click Here
To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit YOURS FOR LIFE: HOW TO HAVE LIFE'S MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP at:
"A Word With You" by Ron Hutchcraft is a daily radio challenge, with slice-of-life illustrations and insights - providing practical help on the issues that matter most. If your local Christian radio station does not air "A Word With You," please let them know how much you value this program. Over six years of transcripts are available online, at: