This past Sunday evening was an historic event in the South. Numerous tornadoes killed dozens and scores of people were hurt. Brother Bob Bonner and I traveled very near some of these as we made our way to my mother’s house on Sunday evening. We knew that things were very serious but it was only by the next morning that we realized just how much damage had been done and how much loss of life had taken place. Making our way back to Tennessee on Monday we personally saw much of the damage that took place in Fayette, Walker, and Cullman counties in Alabama.
Viewing the damage makes one wonder at the awesome power of God in nature. In a sense, God speaks in the whirlwind (as He does in nature, cf. Psalms 19:1-4). God spoke to Job out of the whirlwind (Job 38:1; 40:6). God speaks out of these storms today. What does He say? The message is very clear. Earthly possessions matter very little and being prepared for eternity is essential because one never knows when he will leave this earth. Listen to David’s observation about God in the book of Psalms. “The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook.” Psalms 77:18, NKJV. Solomon continues by saying. “When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.” Proverbs 10:25, NKJV. Does Solomon mean to indicate that the storms only take the wicked and leave the righteous? Not at all. However, the righteous man has a foundation that no storm can blow away! His life is built upon the firm foundation not the shifting sands (cf. Matthew 7:24-27).
Did the storms of Sunday evening concern you? Sure. Most of us use the sense God gave us to get out of harm’s way. However, to those whose trust is in God, these storms of life are a reminder that one who places his trust in material possessions only is foolish. Did these storms make you think more about spiritual things? Good. That is the way it ought to be.This item originally appeared in The Bybee Banner (11/17/02)
