There are so many tragic events--both natural and man-made--taking place in the world today. We read in the papers of hundreds of people being killed by bombs planted on trains; we hear on the news about the war in Lebanon between Israel and Hizbollah; the air travel industry was recently thrown into a state of frenzy by the unveiling of terror plots to destruct several aircraft in mid-air (imagine if someone you knew were on those planes, it could even be you!). What will happen if disaster strikes somewhere close to home? What will you do when disaster comes?

Some of us who wear our Christianity on our sleeves would probably be the first to surrender. Many others would like the Apostle Peter who declared, "Though all other deny Christ, yet I will never deny him. But he did. Three times. Still others, having stored up resources of strength and power, would be strong and courageous and would say, as the Apostle Paul did, "My power is made perfect in weakness."

Billy Graham once preached that "If we want to have resources in our possession for a day of disaster, we need to have a spiritual survival kit: God's storehouse of supplies for us." So the pertinent question is: "How do we gear ourselves with this survival kit?"

1. We need a firm relationship with God.

We must be prepared to meet God at any moment. Isn't it strange how we prepare for so many things except meeting God? Getting to know God and being able to call on Him is the first step in storing up for the storms. Getting to know God is more than treating Him as a casual acquaintance - its developing a deeper relationship with Him every day.

2. We need to learn how to walk with God in our daily lives.

Have you ever been asked, "How is your walk?" There are people who seem to be holding the hand of God throughout life's journey, but there are also people who are lagging far behind.

In the old testament, we read about Abraham who walked with God and was called a friend of God. Noah walked with God, and when the Flood came, Noah was saved. Moses walked with God, and when the hour of judgement fell upon Egypt, Moses led his people to victory Daniel walked with God, and he was saved from the lions' den.

God does not always pull His children out of deep water. Peter was crucified upside down; Andrew was tied to a cross for three days before he died; John was a prisoner on a desolate island; Bartholomew was beaten; Thomas was murdered. These men walked with God. And today we too have access to that same strength that the apostles did.

3. We need to read and memorize Scripture.

It's important to memorize scriptural verses and hide them in your heart. When persecution, trouble and adversity arise, these verses will give you hope and strength. They may even come in handy when someone you know needs encouragement. What verses have you stored up for the future?

4. We need to make prayer our priority.

We live in a materialistic world, but it seems as if we pray only during a crisis, and then between crises we neglect to pray. But we have so many battles going on that we should be a people of prayer! Our government needs our prayers. Our leaders need our prayers. Our schools need our prayers. Our youth need our prayers. Our families need our prayers.

Are we prepared spiritually for the increasing attacks upon us? We have "spiritual forces of evil" at work in our world. Depravity seems to be increasing every year. We need to be in prayer against those "powers of darkness." Miracles have happened when God's people have turned to Him in prayer. Nonetheless, it is imperative to remember that although God does not always deliver us out of catastrophe, but He promises to be with us throughout.

God's Storehouse for us!

Are we preparing for the storms of suffering? Or will we be caught without resources? The best way to prepare is to deepen our spiritual lives, to deepen our life in the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is an ongoing experience. When Paul wrote, "Be filled with the spirit," he conveyed the idea that we keep on being filled with the Spirit, like and ever-flowing spring. We have God's storehouses available to us at ALL times. When the resources are needed, they are there for us. So be prepared, so that when the "day of evil" comes, we will not be controlled by the circumstance around us; rather, we will depend on the resources of God.