Higher Ground

My wife and I evacuated before Hurricane Milton hit our community. We were driving to the other coast of Florida when we saw an unusual sight over in the field next to the highway. We saw a dozen white cows that had crowded together atop a small hill. I don’t know if they knew something was coming or not. Those cows were getting to higher ground. Many people in our community saw their homes and possessions succumb to the storm surge from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Businesses, homes, garages, and vehicles were inundated with saltwater surge. If only we were able to be on higher ground.

In the sermon on the mount Jesus spoke about the need to build on higher ground with these words in Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. Jesus warned us not to rely on storing our treasures on earth because they can be destroyed or stolen. Any of our earthly treasures can be lost, as many of us have discovered. However, if we invest our life in serving the Lord and helping other people, we will be sending up treasure to heaven. Jesus also talked about a foolish man who built his house on the sand and a wise man who built his on a rock. When the storm came the house on the sand was washed away but the house on the rock stood firm.

Many lost so much during both Hurricanes Helene and Milton. They are currently busy with trying to get their homes and lives back together. However, the treasure that we send ahead to heaven will not suffer from the storm surges of life. You don’t have to be a cow to understand the need to be building on higher ground.