I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. (Rev. 3:11)
In July of 2020, a tornado seemed set to destroy my childhood home and threaten the lives of my parents and two of my children. While the cyclone bore down on my family, I stood in my yard (forty-five miles away) and prayed that the sickly-green, monstrous thundercloud would not unleash its full wrath on those I loved.
In the aftermath, we realized that a miracle had occurred. Every tree in my parents’ yard had quite literally laid down its life to protect both the house and the residents inside. One tree took out the back deck as it fell. The garage was obliterated, the front porch was buried under rubble, and the neighbors had to cut a path with chainsaws to reach the front door. The house itself, however, was still standing and no one (thankfully) had been hurt. Not a single tree had fallen directly on the house; rather, each one had provided protection from the swirling debris!
The Lord assured the faithful that those who were victorious over evil would become “a pillar in the temple of . . . God” (v. 12). The city of Philadelphia had a history of devastating earthquakes, so it is likely that the word pillar signified stability in times of uncertainty and turmoil. Because these believers had unshakable faith, they would be given the power to withstand every potential disaster.
Hold on to your faith, no matter what.
Laura Hurd is an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church and holds a master’s degree from Wesley Seminary. She pastors with her husband, Jason, in rural Nebraska.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
