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 storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received nothing but 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 man. Puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him anyway. 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 as a terrible storm approached. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern 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 man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."
Enraged by the man's 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 tarps. 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, and he returned to bed to also sleep while the wind blew.
Friends, the moral of the story is this: When you're prepared, you have nothing to fear. This principle is true physically and spiritually.
The wind is going to fiercely blow in our lives sometimes, metaphorically speaking. Some days are going to be rough, even for God's faithful children. There will be suffering, setbacks, disappointments, and even tragedies. But, the question is: Can you sleep when the wind blows in your life?
The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. He did all that he could to prepare for a storm, long before any storm arrived. He wasn't worried in the least, and that's why he could sleep soundly. Likewise, we must secure ourselves against the storms of life by obeying Jesus Christ in all things and by grounding ourselves firmly in the inspired word of God. Then, we can sleep soundly by placing our trust confidently in the Lord! This is how one must prepare today for whatever trials may find him tomorrow.
Consider Psalm 46:1-3 on this point - "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling." No matter what happens, God will not forsake His faithful ones. Thus, there is no reason for them to fear anyone or anything (Heb. 13:5,6).
For a Christian to be unfaithful to the Lord or to doubt Him is to be double-minded and unstable (cf. James 1:6-8). May we serve the Lord diligently with all our might, trusting in Him completely, and may we never allow the problems of life to cause us to worry. Friends, be the type of disciple who can sleep well when the wind blows in your life, and encourage others to do likewise.