When I first started reading chapter books as a kid, I used to skip Chapter 1 because I had somehow gotten it into my head that the first chapter was just an introduction, or a preface, and not necessary. It’s amazing how stories made so much more sense when I took the time to read from the beginning!

Perhaps just as important as the beginning of a story is its ending. Confession time: Have you ever cheated with a good novel and skipped ahead to read the last chapter? I don’t usually like spoilers, so I don’t skip to the end … with one big exception. The last part of the Bible, Revelation, is one of my favorites. It was actually a vision (a “revelation”) presented to the apostle John. It is heavily symbolic and can be difficult to read; parts of it are pretty bizarre.

What I love about Revelation, though, is that it is the last chapter in the book of humanity that God is writing. Jesus is the main character, and we are all supporting actors. No matter what challenges I may be facing in life, I know that Jesus is at the center of the story, and – spoiler alert! – the plot summary says that we win! Christ the sacrificial Lamb is at the very center of God’s throne (Rev. 7:17), and he will reign victorious over sin and death forever and ever.

One really terrific thing about the Christian faith is that we don’t have to wait until the last chapter to enjoy the story. We can walk in confidence each and every day, knowing that our God – the Creator of the universe and Healer of our brokenness – is active in us and through us. He wants to be the center of our lives, not only at our last breath when we’ll see him face-to-face, but even right now in our comings and goings, in the midst of our trials and triumphs. We are part of his story!

Do you ever feel tempted to stoop to someone else’s level because their sin seems so easy-to-get-away-with?  Stand firm in your faith.

Are there any tornados brewing in your life right now? Recharge your spiritual batteries and hunker down with the Lord for refuge.

Salvation is God rescuing us from our own sin. We cause so much trouble to fall on our own heads, yet he is our refuge! Oh, how he loves us.

During times of trouble, we can huddle under the Lord’s umbrella or stand out in the stormy weather. Will you let him be your refuge?

Do you ever wish God would just exempt you from problems? What can we learn during times of trouble that we wouldn’t learn, otherwise?

If we believe that Christ empowers us to not have to live in fear, how could that mindset change the way we think about living generously?

How has God been a refuge for you? Think back to a situation when God protected you. Spend time thanking him today for his shelter and love.

On May 11, 1953, a stormy afternoon turned deadly for 114 Wacoans as an F5 tornado ripped through downtown, leveling hundreds of businesses and homes and leaving nearly 600 survivors injured. Dozens who sought shelter in a department store were killed when the building collapsed. The tornado tied with a 1902 storm as the deadliest on state record. Thankfully, in the nearly nine years that we have lived in Waco, only once have we had to enact our family disaster plan.

We frequently talk about what to do during tornado watches and warnings, but as the neighborhood siren sounded that night, we put the plan into action. We brought pillows, blankets, books and flashlights into the master bedroom closet and hunkered down with a radio to wait out the siren. We read together, listened to music, prayed for safety and tried to stay calm. We were thankful for a safe refuge.

Psalm 37 talks about waiting out the storm when wickedness seems to surround us. Does it ever seem like the liars and cheats get away with their unethical behavior – and even rewarded for it? Verse 7 tells us: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes” (NIV). The chapter goes on to say that “the power of the wicked will be broken” (v. 17) and that the blameless, the generous, the peace-seeking, the ones called righteous, will find refuge in the Lord.

Refuge is an interesting word. It means to have a place – like a storm shelter or bedroom closet – in which to hunker down during times of danger. Please note: Having a place of refuge does not exempt us from being in danger! God did not promise that we would be removed from perilous situations, but that when trouble comes, we can ride it out with him as our Protector, our Salvation.

Psalm 37 tells us to put our hope in the Lord – to walk boldly and live generously, knowing that our inheritance is in eternal things, not the fleeting perks of this world. We do not have to live in fear!

Today, be prayerful about people in your life who are far from the Lord. How does God want you to see them with faith-eyes?