Many individual Christians and churches are among the hundreds of thousands of Americans affected by recent devastating storms, including hurricanes. Pastor Jesse Bradley of Auburn, Wash., offered them a message of hope.
“The Bible is very clear that we will face trials of many different kinds, including both literal and metaphorical storms (James 1:2-4),” he told Fox News. “Storms are devastating and steal what is most valuable to us. Storms break our hearts and humble us. Storms also remind us of how much we need God‘s help. God’s grace and faithfulness make the difference in the storm — and we will overcome them together.”
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Bradley is senior pastor at Grace Community Church outside Seattle. He also is founder of the Just Choose Hope ministry. He shared a relevant passage from scripture that has long comforted scores of people.
“The disciples were in the boat when the furious squall approached and terrified them,” he said. “Jesus, the savior of the world, was still in the boat with them. God is always with us, and nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Our faith often needs to catch up with this fact. Draw near to God, because God’s greatest gift is his presence. There is hope greater than our pain and loss.”
The pastor said the best response in a storm of any kind is to “seek and trust the Messiah — and care for others” who are hurting as well.
“The death and resurrection of Jesus remind us that the most extreme trials are not the end of the story,” Bradley said. “Jesus has power over death, despair, darkness and the devil. While the enemy intends evil, God will prevail with his goodness.”
Reflecting on extreme weather events of recent weeks as well as the many other types of struggles people are experiencing, Bradley said, “The hurricanes remind us that we need to unite with God and one another. Jesus still calms the storms inside of us. These trials will pass, but our relationship with God is everlasting. Decide to follow Jesus through the fiercest storms. We do have a place that we can turn.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice