Hurricane Harvey ravaged the lives of millions as it swept through Houston recently. Many peoples homes across the gulf coast region were flooded. Some had a few inches of water in their homes, and others had several feet of water. There were people living in two story homes that were able to save some of their worldly belongings while others were rescued by boat carrying with them all they were able to save. Harvey came through reaping utter destruction wiping out entire neighborhoods.
There were others whose homes were not affected at all and many of those people immediately got busy rescuing those in harm’s way and helping out in any way they could. In the midst of the devastation, God’s people have been on the move loving, helping, and serving their neighbors. Our church has done a fantastic job of “mudding out” the houses of both church members, and non-church members that have reached out for help.
We love because he first loved us. – 1 John 4:19
There are people who have lost everything and they are piecing their lives back together after the devastation of the storm. Yet they still have joy because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit through the Lord’s people. The hands and feet of God are on the move and children of the Lord are out loving on people all over the Texas gulf coast as an outward expression of the love that they have been shown through Christ.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. – John 3:16-17 ESV
God loves the world so much that He made the ultimate sacrifice by sending Jesus His one and only son to earth to save humanity. Then Jesus humbled himself by subjecting himself to the frailty of human flesh, by taking on a human form, and the sin of the world and bore our sins on the cross. In order to live among us, teach us and provide the ultimate example of how we should live.
Loving and serving others is an outward expression of the great love of the Lord that lives within us because we are his disciples. We don’t work for our faith, but we work because of our faith. We love others because we were first loved.
[ctt template=”2″ link=”XESza” via=”yes” ]We don’t work for our faith, but we work because of our faith. [/ctt]
We see the perfect parallel of Christ’s love for us in the example our Pastor David Fleming gave at Champion Forest Baptist Church the Sunday after the Harvey. We see the example of sacrifice in the service of the men and women who risked their lives, leaving safe locations to go out in the storm to rescue those who could not save themselves. Much like what Christ did for us. He left the perfection and peace of Heaven to come to earth to rescue the lost and needy because all of us are in need of a savior.
My prayers go out to all the families still dealing with the aftermath of Harvey and now the aftermath of Irma, the fires in the Northwest, monsoons in India and the earthquake in Mexico.
[ctt template=”2″ link=”QGrbZ” via=”yes” ]We live in turbulent times and there is no better time than the present to turn our eyes to Jesus.[/ctt]
Recent Comments