Facts vs Truth...

We had a real gully washer blow through our area last night.  High winds were being predicted throughout the day and some of our neighbors without garages moved their vehicles away from the tall trees around their driveways to protect them from falling branches.  When I took Fiver out for his afternoon run in our spacious backyard around five, the wind was gusting pretty good.  I mentioned to Piper who was snuggly wrapped in a warm coat, a beanie cap and a couple of blankets while sitting on the deck, that the sound of the wind rustling through the trees reminded me of our camping adventures in the Sierra’s in northeastern California.

At first, it’s a gentle sound in the distance that slowly gets louder until the trees around the camp or yesterday at our house, begin to actually sway near their tops before moving on.  I must admit that there was a bit more of the trees swaying yesterday afternoon than just the tops!  I have one Oak tree in the back corner near our shed that I’ve had some concern for as it always losses a good number of branches during wind storms.  As I stood under it yesterday and examined its movements, I suddenly had the thought that I might not be standing in the best position in the yard during a wind storm, so I retreated out of the way it was leaning!

The rain began to come down in earnest a few hours later and I made regular checks of the front and back to make sure that everything on our property was okay.  I had no choice but to take Fiver out for his final outing of the night around ten in the midst of a downpour.  I had a raincoat on and weathered the storm without difficulty, but I can’t say the same for the dog!  Even though we weren’t out for long, he was pretty wet when we came back in.  But he’s always a good sport and seems to enjoy it when I towel him down after such an adventure.

I had prayed earlier in the evening over our property and ourselves for God’s protection as well as for that of our neighbors.  But each time I looked outside I had to remind myself that God had everything under control.  My final look out front from the study window showed that our drainage ditch near the road was about ¾ full with rapidly moving water.  As I stared at the scene before me, I began to have visions of the water overflowing the banks and making its way up to our house!

Isn’t it interesting how our minds, if left to their own devices, can play tricks on you in the midst of storm.  I finally had to physically shake my head to rid myself of those worst-case scenarios and then was able to hear that small still voice on the inside of me reassuring me that HE was protecting us… just as we had prayed earlier in the evening!  That TRUTH brought an instant peace to me and I pulled down the blinds and went to bed! 

I heard the current dean of our Bible school say yesterday that facts are constantly changing but the truth always stays the same.  Well, that’s exactly what I saw out the window last night.  The rain and the wind were quickly changing the facts of the storm right before my eyes, but the truth of God’s Word was still the same… however the worse the facts seemed to be getting!

The first place that Piper and I have learned to retreat to at the beginning of any storm that we’ve faced over the years is Psalm 91:10 where the Psalmist boldly and confidently declares “no evil shall befall You, nor shall any plague come near Your dwelling.” (MKJV)  Of course, we always personalize it by substituting “us” and “our” for “you” and “yours”

At times like last night, I often times picture the determination and confidence on my wife’s countenance in the past whenever she would quote that verse.  One look at her and you-knew-that-you-knew that she believed it and NOTHING was going to change her mind.  If I was really honest with myself, then I would probably have to admit that there were a few times in the past where I found myself hooking my faith onto her trust and confidence… because mine wasn’t quite up to level with hers!

Over the last ten years I have had to build up my own confidence, trust and determination so that she can hook her increasing inability to stand on her own faith onto mine!  With my wife’s degenerating brain disease, I am a firm believer in Ephesians 5:31 where Paul declares concerning the marriage of a man and a woman that when “…a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become 'one flesh.'" (The Message)  I know that some will disagree with me, but I have come to see that the oneness of a Christian husband and wife… especially with the close relationship we have always had, has given me the responsibility to stand with and increasingly FOR her in our daily faith life.

But putting that argument aside… The lesson I again learned last night is to trust the TRUTH of God’s Word to stand firm in the face of the ever-changing FACTS that occur in the storms of life!  Once you pray over a situation and claim one or more promises from His owner’s manual… Then BELIEVE it and don’t let the FACTS that your eyes, ears and feelings may be seeing change your mind!

Have a great new week, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “What TRUTH of God’s Word am I expecting to stand on… in the face of the ever-changing FACTS around me today?”