10 Jun, 2009
TORNADO!
Bad weather has dominated the news in many states this week. In Aurora, Co at least 5 tornadoes touched down including one that shutdown a mall. Along with the tornado came baseball size hail and debris sprawled out over an 8-10 mile path. Just the name "tornado" strikes fear in most people. Visions of Dorothy and Toto being swept away in the Wizard of Oz, and the sheer visual image of doom that they possess are terrifyng. Tornadoes can appear instantly and tear through towns leaving them devastated. Many people have lost their lives and those who were lucky to survive often have had to completely start over. Where do tornadoes come from? Tornadoes have been researched for over 140 years but there are still aspects of them that remain a mystery. Because scientists do not know the exact mechanisms of how tornadoes form, they are extremely hard to predict. What is known for sure is that a tornado is extremely dangerous and taking shelter in a basement or under a table or staircase is your best defense. These precautions are helpful but not very comforting when a tornado hits.
story and photo from: http://news.yahoo.com and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado
Matthew 16:3 (NIV)
'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
Luke 8:25 (NIV)
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
What does God say about Tornadoes?
Like tornadoes, life can sneak up on us bringing all sorts of worry and fear. Parents who do not understand you. Friends who judge you. Failure at school. You can't find a job. Your boyfriend or girlfriend breaks up with you. And even more serious stuff like the loss of a friend or loved one. or an illness that was not expected. Life comes at us relentlessly sometimes and in all different directions. And in all that, God does not promise us that He will take it all away. He tells us that there will be storms and that often we will not even be able to see them coming. What He does demonstrate for us is that He is in charge of it all. He does have the power to calm the winds and waves of life. The question is: Do we believe He can? Jesus calmed the storm amidst the disciples and then asked them where their faith was. We must be careful in interpreting this as God only acting in our behalf if we have faith. For surely God pursues us and works in our lives even when we have our backs turned to Him. But His desire is for us to always look to Him in the good and the bad that life brings us. It is God's job to take care of us. It is our job to work out our salvation by placing our trust in Him.
- What storm are you in the midst of now?
- In the midst of your storm, acknowlege God as having the power to see you through it. Look to Him for answers before you rely on your methods or the methods of others.
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Think about 1 or 2 people in your life that a "tornado like" storm is hitting. Pray for them everyday this week (that God would calm their storm and that you might be used in that purpose).
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- June 2006 [3]
