Sleep Soundly When the Wind Blows
Years ago a farmer-owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful hurricanes that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.
As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.
“Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked him.
“Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.
Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him.
The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.
Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a flashlight and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters.
He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”
The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”
Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot.
Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured.
Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.
The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.
The principle involved here is knowing that all is well with your soul. You can sing the old hymn “Blessed Assurance” with confidence. There have been predictions of the world coming to an end since the Apostle John wrote his Revelation. For instance, in 365 AD French bishop Hilary of Poitiers announced the end of the world would happen during this year. Then in 793 AD, a Spanish monk prophesied the Second Coming of Christ and the end of the world on that day in front of a large crowd of people. Then after his 1260 AD prediction failed, the followers of Joachim of Fiore rescheduled the end of the world to 1290 AD and then again to 1335 AD. Most recently we have been warned that the end will come in twelve years – 2032.
So, what does the Bible have to say about this? The Apostle John wrote to his constituents and told them, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13) And the Apostle Peter share his message with those who would receive his letter, that they were to, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18) In other words, it doesn’t matter whether the end of the world comes tomorrow, next year, or next century. With our souls secure in our faith in God and His Son, we too can sleep well when the winds of false predictions blow and panic among the unredeemed grows stronger and stronger. – Dr. Robert R Seyda
Down an Unfamiliar Road 