Today, for the 2nd time this year a substantial hurricane will move across the parish of our home within 40 miles or so. That’s relatively close to being a direct hit but without the full impact. It’s also close enough to a direct hit that until it has passed by, you have the possibility of it being one. The forecast says that in about 12 hours Delta’s center will be about 30-40 miles from my home.
Living all my life, 67 years, in south Louisiana means I’ve been through many tropical storms and hurricanes. For hurricane Andrew in 1992 we lost everything. In my earlier years, it was common to expect and return to a flooded home filled with stinky mud. Prayerfully and hopefully that won’t be the case today since my home is now on “higher ground.”
Hurricane Delta is the 26th named storm for this year 2020. Many self proclaimed prophets spoke of this year, 2020, as being a year of “vision” and yet I only know of 1 who said a virus was coming. None mentioned a record year of storms along America’s coastlands.
To be honest, I put very little stock in what modern “prophets” have to say, actually I place very much doubt in their comments. According to scripture, true prophets are out numbered about 400 to 1 by lying and false, “wanna be prophets.”
What I do pay attention to is scripture and numbers in the Bible. There is a recurring theme of scripture using numbers to drive home a point such as 40 being an allotted time of God for testing and trials. The scripture for today, October 9, 2020 in my Tecarta app is,
Scripture tells us that storms of life will come in many forms upon all mankind. Jesus spoke directly to that so don’t believe anyone that tells you once you become a “Born Again with God’s Spirit” Christian life will be nothing but smooth sailing.
In yesterday’s devotional reading a word from Proverbs 8 verse 12 caught my attention so I studied it a little.
Proverbs 8:12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
I learned that the Hebrew word for “prudence” used here is used only 5 times, another “God number.” Prudence is a word that resonates with me, maybe because I am a USCG licensed boat captain. The USCG uses the word “prudent” to relate to a mariner that takes into account all rules, circumstances, aides to navigation, and much more to operate a marine vessel safely. I took this screen shot from a navigation map yesterday morning while studying the word,
I want to be “prudent” in handling the word of God because as Paul told Timothy, “all scripture” is relevant and necessary to glean “all” that is being presented.
Too few ministries focus on teaching it’s congregation to be prepared for when the storms of life will come. In Jesus’ ministry, He spent much of His teachings concerning times of storms and outright tribulation. We have gospel accounts of Jesus and the disciples being caught at sea in storms which Jesus easily subdued. Jesus told of “great tribulation” to come and of all the other tribulations that would proceed it until He would return from heaven to set up His kingdom. Those were teachings that touched on storms of life but He also directly addressed what we could relate as to a hurricane in Matthew and Luke.
Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Luke 6:46-49 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
While the concept of “obedience” to the Word/Law of God is so often discounted as being “legalistic” and shunned by many Christian teachers, “we are no longer under the law,” Jesus says a “prudent” disciple will “do the things” He has said to do or not do.
Jesus is the Word of God that was made flesh and dwelt among us 2,000 years ago. All things were created by Him and “for Him.” In John 10:7-9 Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
In a post I wrote last year titled “4 Is The Door” https://intheword.blog/2019/07/30/4-is-the-door/ I described how the number 4 is related to Jesus being the Door.
“4 Is The Door”
For some strange reason as I considered writing about “God’s Doors” and His warning me about opening the wrong door, a phrase that I thought I’d heard before on a few occasions could not found anywhere in Google or Youtube searches. It was “4 Is The Door” and the closest thing I could assume related to “4 Being the Door” was Revelation 4:1 and Genesis 4:7.
The Number 4 is VERY Related to”Moed – Appointed Times” Think of all the times 40 days, 40 years and even 400 years that describe periods of trials and testing.
- One the 4th Day, God created the sun, the moon, and all the stars (Genesis 1:14 – 19). Their purpose was not only to give off light, but also to divide the day from the night on earth, thus becoming a basic demarcation of time. Doors are a “demarcation” of leaving and entering.
- The 4th of the Ten Commandments is to remember and keep God’s holy Sabbath day (Exodus 20:9 – 11) A very important “Moed to keep”
- At the cross Roman soldiers divided Jesus’ clothes into 4 parts (one for each soldier – John 19:23).
- In the Garden of Eden “A River” parted into 4 other rivers. These rivers were the Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel and the Euphrates (Genesis 2:10 – 14).
- 4 is the number of times rainbows are referenced in scripture (Genesis 9, Ezekiel 1:28, Revelation 4:3, 10:1).
- In Ezekiel 1:10, he sees 4 living creatures transporting a throne with 4 sides and 4 Each of the living creatures, likely Cherubim, has 4 faces (the face of a man, lion, ox and eagle) and 4 wings (1:6). In Ezekiel 7:2 he proclaims to Israel that an end is coming upon ‘the 4 corners of the land. In chapter 14 the prophet is told by the Eternal to ask Israel’s unrepentant elders to repent or else 4 sore judgments will come upon Jerusalem, the sword, famine, wild beasts and pestilence (14:21).
- There are 4 Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry, each emphasizing a unique aspect of his sacrifice and ministry.
- Matthew’s focus is on Christ being the son of David and a King.
- Mark highlights the suffering servant aspect of his ministry.
- John proclaims Jesus is the One and Only begotten Son of God.
- Luke showcases him as the Perfect Man.
Are you wondering what Hurricane Delta has to do with 4 and Jesus being the Door yet? Delta is the 4th letter of the Greek alphabet.
The Letter Dalet (ד)
The letter Dalet is the fourth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. The letter Dalet is actually the source of the Greek letter Delta, as you can see by the similarities in the two letters’ names. The English letter “D” is derived from Dalet, our fourth letter as well. While the specific reason for the letter being named Dalet is not known, many believe it is because one of the letter’s predecessors (in even more ancient languages than the Hebrew language) looked like a door. In the Hebrew language, the word for “door” is “delet.”
In every storm of life, whether it be atmospheric, mental or physical, no matter it’s name – hurricane, depression, or cancer, Jesus is the Rock we should be standing on to weather it out. Jesus told us that some storms will visit you along life’s journey. Unless you exit this life by way of the rapture, some storm will be the cause of leaving this temporal life and entering the eternal one, the one that matters the most.
In a way storms serve a useful purpose. They can get our eyes off ourselves and get us to focus on God who has power over any storm. They teach us to Trust in God no matter the outcome of going through a storm.
Delta is the 26th named storm this year. 26 like the number 4 has spiritual significance.
26 is the gematric number, being the sum of the Hebrew characters (Hebrew: יהוה) being the name of the god of Israel – YHWH (Yehowah). Another reason to add God to the situation, not overlook Him.
Revelation 4:1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
Revelation 3:20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
Jesus is the Door and the Rock of our Salvation, there is NO Other Way or Waymaker!!!
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
“Through” Me, you go through a “door” to enter another place. Jesus built “I go to prepare a place” heaven, it’s His to share with whomever He pleases. No one will be able to demand entrance to heaven. No one can earn entrance to heaven, it’s a free gift to those who will receive it’s owner.
Don’t reject the owner of heaven if you want to go there. Receive Jesus. He is standing at the Door to your heart wanting to enter in. Will you let Him in???
YouVersion scripture for today,
P.S. The Day After Hurricane Delta, 1:00pm
The blue dot is our home. The eye of Delta widened when it got ashore and passed nearer than we thought it would.
Delta is gone now and thankfully, praise God, we had no structural damage at our home. Only some broken oak and pine tree limbs. My cucumber vines are leafless now but I did get to pick 3 more nice cukes. My wife and I put out the hummingbird feeders and seed feeders for our feathery friends. The hummingbirds were looking for them just after daybreak as I was hanging some up. We have about 8 or 10 hummingbirds again this year.
The tree limbs are stacked at the roadside and the yard is back to normal. Sadly that’s not the case for others in our area. I saw many roofs damaged or outright destroyed this morning when I went to my father in laws house. Many fences and small buildings are destroyed too. It’s only 1pm and I have taken a bath and I’m chilling out for awhile. Electricity is out but our generator provides almost every comfort we need.
This morning in my Bible study time I realized that today is the 8th or “Last Great Day” of the Feast of Tabernacles. It was on this day Jesus said,
John 7:37-39
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. [38] He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given ; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
As I drove to my father in laws house this morning, seeing all the damage other homeowners sustained, a hugh emotion of gratefulness for Father Gods Divine Hand of Protection being evident over our home brought tears to my eyes and this song to my mind. I pray it blesses you in the same way my heart swells with thankfulness and love for my heavenly Father.
With ALL That’s Within Me LORD I Praise Your Holy Name, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is The LORD!!!
In The Word 