“I can’t believe it… everything I owned was swept away in one night.” The North Carolina farmer’s words, heavy with grief, echoed the voices of many throughout the region still trying to process the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Helene. A violent flash flood had torn through his property, leaving behind nothing but debris and memories. The sobering reality that lives had been lost made the destruction even harder to bear, a stark reminder of how quickly the things we hold dear can be taken away.
Jesus warned us about the fleeting hopes of this world. “…everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:26-27).
Nothing in this world is secure. Possessions can be swept away by natural disasters. Power can be snatched away through a company layoff or government upheaval. Popularity can be shattered by scandal. Health can fail us in a heartbeat. Even the strongest relationships can be torn apart by misunderstandings or loss. Nothing in this world is guaranteed. Nothing.
There is only one permanent source of security—Christ. By putting our ultimate trust in Him and His truth, we possess something that won’t be swept away by the storms. “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25).
Jesus is the solid rock upon which we can build our future hopes. Everything else may fade, but His truth stands firm. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35). That’s why I love to sing that old hymn: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness… All other ground is sinking sand.”
Friends once shared with me their experience working with Samaritan’s Purse years ago, helping to rebuild homes devastated by forest fires on the West Coast. One day, they watched an older widow, her face etched with pain, sifting through the ashes of her once magnificent home. Fighting back tears, she told them, “I’ve lost everything. Everything is gone.” But then, after a long pause, she gathered herself and, through a quivering voice, declared, “But I’ve still got my Jesus.”
That’s why Romans 8:35-39 is such a powerful source of hope for all believers: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake, we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Bill Gaither once shared a story about his daughter Suzanne when she was a toddler. She stubbornly refused to give up her pacifier. Bill and Gloria tried several times to wean her from it, but it seemed like a losing battle. Eventually, they consulted with their pediatrician, who reassured them, “Don’t worry about it. She’ll give it up in her own time.” Bill joked, “I sure hope so because I think she might want to get married someday! I hope she makes it by then.” Then, one day, out of the blue, Suzanne came to Gloria and handed over her pacifier. “Here, Mom,” she said, “take this thing. It’s empty!”
As we mature in Christ, we realize that this world is empty. We work hard for and hold tight to things that will only pacify us for a short time. It’s so futile! God has set eternity in our hearts, and nothing in this world will ever satisfy that longing. Only Jesus can. His word is water for the thirsty, meat for the hungry, and bread for the basic needs of the heart.
The current turbulence in the world—whether it’s the devastating storms, political uncertainty, or personal struggles—is often difficult to bear. But remember: We’ve still got our Jesus. And because of Him, we have the hope of heaven. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).
