Jesus told us, "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). During "the flood of 1993" in the mid-western United States, I learned firsthand that the way to overcome challenges is through God and the power of His Christ.
My husband and I were renting a house about a half mile away from the Mississippi River. When the river began to flood, we weren't too concerned at first because our house had never flooded. As the water came closer, however, I began to pray in earnest. In my prayers, I affirmed that God, whose nature is good, could never cause or allow destruction. I reasoned that if my prayers were effective, the water would recede and houses would not be flooded.
As I prayed more diligently, the story of Noah building the ark came to thought, but I pushed it aside. I had no desire to be like Noah and endure a flood. I wanted to be like Christ Jesus and calm the storm. I asked God, "Wasn't Jesus' demonstration better than Noah's?" The answer that came to me was very humbling—"Both Noah and Jesus listened to God, and both were protected." I, too, needed to listen moment by moment and be willing to follow God's guidance. I had to stop outlining how God should be working.
