A Living Hope
In September 1999, Hurricane Floyd ravaged the eastern parts of the Carolinas. Though there was significant wind damage, the worst impact came from flooding, with many counties receiving nearly 20 inches of rain in a single day. It remained one of the costliest natural disasters in North Carolina until Hurricane Florence struck in 2018.
Growing up in Kinston, NC, I experienced Floyd firsthand. At the time, I was only 13 years old. Just two years earlier, my father had left our family, and we were forced to move into my grandmother’s house. While living there, much of our furniture, toys, kitchenware, books, etc., had to be placed in a storage facility. After Floyd, nearly everything we had in storage was damaged by floodwaters. We were also forced to evacuate my grandmother’s home and live in a small RV for two months.
At a young age, I quickly learned how easy it is to lose possessions when disaster strikes. Solomon once said, “Will you catch only a fleeting glimpse of wealth before it is gone? It makes wings for itself like an eagle flying into the sky” (Proverbs 23:5, GW). It is often said, “We’re not guaranteed tomorrow.” While that is true, it is equally certain that we are not guaranteed to keep the possessions we have today. That’s why it is crucial not to set our hope on accumulating wealth or obtaining possessions.
The hope found in following Christ is what truly matters. The apostle Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3–5, ESV). Whether we have little or much in this life, our focus should be on the life to come. The eternal inheritance laid up for the believer cannot be robbed or destroyed. Floodwaters or fire can never harm it. Thank the Lord that no matter what happens to the things I own on earth, I can rejoice in the promise of a heavenly inheritance.
