I refuse to be motivated by fear. Therefore, this week has been difficult for me with everyone panicking about the storm. I wanted to be prepared but not participate in the hullabaloo of waiting in long lines and driving all over to find water.

So Tuesday morning, God was speaking to me about His power but my husband turned on the TV and Elizabeth Gardner was talking about the power of the storm. Whose report was I going to believe? I was conflicted.

As I’m driving to work, I’m thinking, “Should I go to the store during my planning? Should I not write today and go to the store? How should I prepare for this massive storm?” God spoke to me through the song playing on my car stereo. I found myself making these confessions:

You have me
You have my heart completely
You won’t let go of me
You will take care of me, Always take care of me!

It was a cloudy morning. And as I finished singing that song and was about to turn into the parking lot, there was a lightning strike above the clouds but it looked as if God was winking at me. I felt the Holy Spirit say, “Don’t worry about this storm.”

When I woke up Wednesday morning, my husband said, “Look how God has turned this storm.” Over the next couple of days, the hurricane went from a category 5 to a tropical storm. Whose report will you believe?

My heart goes out to everyone at the coast and in New Bern who has lost property and especially to those who have lost family members. I pray that what the enemy meant for bad, you will see God’s resurrection, His redemption, and His restoration at work in your situation. I am not by any means diminishing the effects of this storm. But my Declarations Tuesday morning are yours as well. Or perhaps, you would prefer Isaiah:

“But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:1-2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Don’t be afraid of the devastation of this storm. God will take care of you.