Today's Forecast

I had an interesting observation today that I would like to share with you.  As I was chatting with my Mom on the phone this morning, she made the comment that the weatherman stated that it was going to be in the 80’s today.  So she decided to wear light clothing in anticipation of the projected temperature.  When we had commenced our conversation I turned to my wife and began to tell her what my Mom had said.  About the time I got to her statement on the weatherman’s forecast, my mind drifted off to the thought of how we tend to plan our day according to the weather prognostications.

I can easily recall the first snow storm that we experienced when we moved to Oklahoma.  What surprised me was how the National Weather Service began to issue severe weather alerts a full week before the snow came.  They not only projected the upcoming storm, but laid out a day by day scenario of what to expect and at what time it would come!  This was something that I had never seen in all the years that I had lived in the temperate climate of northern California.  I am not sure why it is, be it our proximity to the ocean and the off shore breezes, the mountain ranges that surround our city or what, but it seems like the weather projections in our area are always kind of 50 – 50 in their accuracy.  Therefore, I was surprised and doubtful of what was being broadcast on the TV, over the internet and even from the dean of our Bible School, who was concerned for the new students who had just moved into the area.

Well, you know what?  It did happen just like they all said!  The dark clouds seemingly blew in from no where, the precipitation started on schedule, followed by the freezing rain and by morning the ground was covered with about five inches of snow.  I was totally awe struck and soon learned the weather ways of the great plains!  What I came to realize is that there is basically nothing between Texas and Canada to stop the cold fronts from coming through!  And like I learned, they have perfected their forecasting abilities to the point where they can be fairly accurate as to when the storms will hit the different areas along their paths.

All this went through my mind in an instant as I began to ponder how we will adjust our attire, activities and sometimes our moods by what the weatherman says.  From there my mind suddenly illustrated the words that King David penned in Psalm 118:24 where he said that “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (NIV)  This is where the point of my morning observation came into clear view.

While we will put our trust into the words of a trained professional who is relying on what he or she sees from satellite photos and then is projecting an outcome based on past experiences and all kinds of data related to the approaching weather front and the locale that it is nearing, (not always taking into account the myriad of unforeseen changes that can occur at any time), we may not always trust the advice of the living God Who’s word is infallible.  Psalm 119:160 confirms how we can trust in His word by saying: “All you say can be trusted; your teachings are true and will last forever.”  (Contemporary English Version)

The big difference that I see between the weather forecast and God’s forecast is how the “unforeseen changes” that can arise will affect what’s been projected.  The weather patterns can shift, dissipate, and quickly change, but the word of the living God always stays the same.  It is totally up to us whether we let the “unforeseen circumstances” of life affect what God declares to be in His word!

Jesus likened our putting our trust into His word to “a wise man who built his house upon the rock.  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.”  (Matthew 7:24-25 NASV)  Well, if Jesus said it, then I believe it!  That’s where I have put my trust.  How about you?  Will you like one who keeps his or her ear to the radio in order to keep up with the changes conditions around them, or as the one that Jesus foretold, and be settled on THE ROCK where NOTHING will fall?

Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”