When the Devil Shall Send Forth His Mighty Winds

Like this picture, I found myself on the receiving end of what I might consider "shafts in the whirlwind" the other night. The wind was blowing so hard it was causing tiny particles of dirt to sting my skin and if I hesitated for just a moment in bracing myself, I was sure to be blown off course. As I was encountering these mighty winds, I had one scripture running through my head:

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundations; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

                                                                                       Heleman 5:12

I have always understood these words in theory. I know that when trials and hard times come, if we have lives centered on Christ, we have no need for fear. It wasn't until this moment, however, when the literal wind was beating upon me that I really understood the importance of the rock of Christ. There are winds that are annoying, there are winds that are brisk, and there are gentle breezes, but there are also those winds that have enough power to shake, tire, stall, and knock you over. These winds have incredible force and bring with them the words, "Give in. Don't stand against me." yet as we build on our rock as we gain a sure foundation we have no need to cower or fall, we can stand tall and face the oncoming winds. Though we will feel their force, and exert full energy of soul to withstand them, in the end they will just rush by leaving us with our rock.

What kind of winds are you facing? What winds have you let blow you over? I testify that Christ is the ultimate source of strength. When we make the decision to center our lives on him, we can withstand those winds. We will have no need to fear.