In a world where things are often not what they seem, it is a Christian’s duty to pursue truth. In Christ it’s that one thing obtainable for wanting it. He that is hungry and thirsty for righteousness sake shall be filled. Deception is for those who love not the truth and hate not the lie. When life throws us a set of circumstances out side of our control, such as a destructive storm, or a personal life altering event, the only two things we can really depend on is truth and trust, the truth of God’s word and trust in His promises.

Rebuilding on a firm foundation begins  with truth, in the following assessments. In the assessment of damage and estimate of repairs.

After every storm, it is up to us to decide what is salvageable and what is loss. To count the cost of rebuilding. With God no task is insurmountable. No damage un restorable, no impossibility impossible. What limits God is not our lack of strength, or our fear over the circumstances, or even our hurt or anger toward Him. What limits God is our slowness in accepting truth. The truth that what just happened did in fact happen, is not something that can easily be comprehended, as any one who has been in an accident, war zone, or disaster can tell you. Yet the sooner we realize that we just servived the unsurvivable, thanking God in all things, the better positioned we are to minimize further loss and damage by engaging a sound mind in the immediate events around us. This comes easier for those who have already disciplined their mind in prayer and the pursuit of peace as a daily endeavor. All is paramount in accepting what can be done when starting over.

The truth in cause, and the evaluation of viability in what remains. Foundations and infrastructure are often left in the aftermath of a storm, that can be restored.

However, the lesson learned following Hurricane Sandy, teaches us that what we rebuild on, could be a set up for even more devastation. The famous board walk along the New Jersey shore that was badly damaged, was hastily rebuilt only to go up in flames because of faulty wiring, not replaced from the old structure. This could have been avoided by an uncomprimising acceptance of truth in the practice of principles and standards. For example the word of God tells us not to build in the sand, not to patch an old garment with new fabric. Not to put new wine in old wine skins. Asking questions of our standards. Did we build a mud hut in a flood zone? Did we erect a trailer in tornado ally? Did we build a house over a dry creek? Will rebuilding be in vain because of climate change? Will the same material used before be a liability? Should a wood structure be built-in drought stricken “foothills? That is why we have zoning laws. That is why the bible and its standards for living, its rules of engagement, its wisdom in making right decisions, are reasons why we do research, and get are permits, from God to build. So that errors will not be made all over again. 

The removal of debris.

We can’t break new ground with out removing debris. Getting over the fear that something salvageable will be missed. That somehow moving on, means giving up on dreams. At some point, we have to step back, stop picking through our loss, and turn the destruction over to clearance. This is truth in acceptance. To clear the damage. This is letting go and letting God. It is the last decision made concerning the past,  and the first decision made towards the future. It is a conscious decision to release what was, and begin to embrace hope for what will be. We can cling to old relics of the past and bring them into our life as a monument of all our yesterdays, or we can fill the walls and shelves of our new day, with the  treasures discovered in life’s present lessons and value. Monuments are good at what they do, they remind us to remember lessons learned, in previous journeys. We go to them to do that, but no one should live in a grave yard. Yet, people live in the past in their minds all the time, mourning what could have been, or even what should have been. There is no path of renewal there, only sorrow and regret. But God doesn’t call us to that.

Truth in estimates, the cost of repair, and requirements to rebuild. Truth in resource, having what it takes economically and emotionally. 

Being honest in the will to rebuild, and  contentment in what was. Asking yourself if rebuilding where it ended is what you really want. The circumstances of life will manage those who refuse to live it truthfully, purposely, and principally. We may have standards, but might live and work in a lawless atmosphere where other people are setting their standards that bring us shame. At some point there may be a time when preservation is not a decision to be made, but a response for survival. When your back yard begins to turn into a mud slide down a ravine there is no time to plan, all you can do is react. What can be noted ahead however, is that structures built on a mountain side are susceptible to mud slides during heavy rain.  A husband battling addiction, who is the bread-winner, is that house on the mountain side in a heavy rain. A wife who has a gambling problem that is in charge of paying the mortgage payment is too. Wisdom sees the potential collapse and fault in non principled living, and makes arrangements for its failure.

This is not a fear driven assessment. It is truth in making an assessment.

Being emotionally lead is soulish. Being spiritually led by the Spirit of God, is a yielded life to the counsel of God’s word. They that walk in the Spirit will not fulfill the desires of the flesh Galatians 5. God says, acknowledge me in ALL your ways and I will guide and direct your path! Let HIM search your heart. For the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord searching the inward part of the belly. Because the heart is exceedingly wicked we cannot trust it. That is why we go to the Father with the intent to be honest with him, with a willingness to accept the truth and not deny it. For an honest and truthful assessment of our lives, and circumstances, clears the fog. Decisions that are right come from seeing right. Hearing right. This needs to be actively contended for. Deception and denial are our worst enemy in a time of crises. In the world we live in now, we have already been lulled into a slumber in the midst of a raging storm, when we really need to have our wits about us. Jesus said watch and pray. Today, we need to be fully awakened and seek truth no matter what the cost.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 King James Version (KJV)  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.