August 6th, 2020
Bill Yerkes, Senior Pastor
This picture was taken just off the coast of Cape May on Sunday at sunset, just hours before the tropical storm came barreling up the Eastern seaboard. With the exception of the water being churned up from the boat we were riding, the scene was calm and breathtaking. Our family took an excursion to see dolphins. Within 24 hours this area was experiencing gale force winds, torrential rains, and rough waters impassible by boats like the one we were on. As I write this, the sun is shining, and the storm is a memory. The system that tore up the coast has moved out of our area and those effected by its power are cleaning up their properties and working to move on with their lives, and this scene will look just like this again tonight at sunset. This beautiful sunset will be restored after the storm has passed.
1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Peter reminds us in this verse about our personal restoration we can experience through Christ.
We were joking in the office this week about how we brushed off the threat of a tropical storm, because 2020 has already brought us storms of many kinds. Tropical storm Isaias may have been the least of your worries this week, or it may have completely turned it upside down. The passing “storms” of life will sometimes knock us off our feet, make us feel defeated, and even question our faith. It is those moments we need to be reminded of the hope of restoration we have because of what God is doing in our lives. The hope of successfully restoring an old home comes in the quality of the “bones” of the house. What is on the inside will determine how much can be done to bring it back to its former glory and more. God changes us from the inside out, and when we need restoration we need to rely on what God has already done and what he promises to do.
David suffered many “storms” in his life. Sometimes those storms came from unexpected situations and things beyond his control, while other times it was because of his sin. David also clung to the hope of restoration. In Psalm 51:12 he writes “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” How good it is to have a God who will always take those moments that tear us apart and restore us for something better.
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father, You are King over the flood
I will be still, know you are God
from “Still” by Hillsong
This picture was taken just off the coast of Cape May on Sunday at sunset, just hours before the tropical storm came barreling up the Eastern seaboard. With the exception of the water being churned up from the boat we were riding, the scene was calm and breathtaking. Our family took an excursion to see dolphins. Within 24 hours this area was experiencing gale force winds, torrential rains, and rough waters impassible by boats like the one we were on. As I write this, the sun is shining, and the storm is a memory. The system that tore up the coast has moved out of our area and those effected by its power are cleaning up their properties and working to move on with their lives, and this scene will look just like this again tonight at sunset. This beautiful sunset will be restored after the storm has passed.
1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Peter reminds us in this verse about our personal restoration we can experience through Christ.
We were joking in the office this week about how we brushed off the threat of a tropical storm, because 2020 has already brought us storms of many kinds. Tropical storm Isaias may have been the least of your worries this week, or it may have completely turned it upside down. The passing “storms” of life will sometimes knock us off our feet, make us feel defeated, and even question our faith. It is those moments we need to be reminded of the hope of restoration we have because of what God is doing in our lives. The hope of successfully restoring an old home comes in the quality of the “bones” of the house. What is on the inside will determine how much can be done to bring it back to its former glory and more. God changes us from the inside out, and when we need restoration we need to rely on what God has already done and what he promises to do.
David suffered many “storms” in his life. Sometimes those storms came from unexpected situations and things beyond his control, while other times it was because of his sin. David also clung to the hope of restoration. In Psalm 51:12 he writes “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” How good it is to have a God who will always take those moments that tear us apart and restore us for something better.
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father, You are King over the flood
I will be still, know you are God
from “Still” by Hillsong
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