Shelter from the Storm (January 2009)

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For once all the experts through the media (TV, Newspapers, Radio etc) seem to be agreed on one thing, and that is that 2009 is going to be an extremely challenging year at best. The buzz words we hear being bandied around are ‘recession’, ‘credit crunch’, ‘collapsing house prices’, ‘bleak, gloomy economy’, ‘more job losses’ and ‘high unemployment rates’. Some have spoken about the fear of terrorism as terrorists seek to exploit the vulnerability of society as well as an increase in racial tensions. The list goes on and on.

The news is certainly enough to induce panic in even the calmest of people, or at least provoke a certain degree of apprehension or concern. The result of this is often the compulsion to make plans and whilst there is nothing wrong with that, I would urge that you do so with a degree of caution. For as King Solomon says in Proverbs 19:21 ’Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails’. Our primary goal should be to determine God’s plans for our lives and stick to it; knowing that it is in His will that we find fulfilment.

This understanding is what led us to set aside 21 days at the beginning of the year to seek God’s will. This desire for His will and not ours is even more imperative in view of what we are told to expect this year as His will becomes a ’storm shelter’, a place of safety in the midst of whatever we might have to face this year. A word from Prophet Joel offers us great encouragement in Joel 3:16 and the Darby translation actually says ‘Jehovah will be a shelter for his people and the refuge of the children of Israel’.

I would like to ask that we do not rush into making resolutions without taking God’s plans and purposes for our lives into consideration this year. There is no surer way to incur the displeasure of Heaven than to send a message that we don’t think God is relevant in our lives by taking decisions on our own, the consequences of doing this can sometimes be severe.

Let us ensure that we are walking in His plans and purposes for our lives and let our position be like the Prophet Jeremiah so aptly explains in Jeremiah 10:23 ‘I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course’. It is crucial at this stage to understand that our future is in God’s hands and we are privileged to have access to Him who knows the end from the beginning. Let us also take comfort in knowing that His thoughts towards us are good and perfect, therefore regardless of what comes our way, it is well with us.

Have a great 2009!