Keeping an Eye on the Storm

Reading: Matthew 16:3--"'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."

Last Sunday was a day that many will not soon forget. Across the Midwest, horrific storms and tornados roared through towns and the countryside, taking with it homes, businesses, possessions, and life itself. As tragic as it all was, we were still at a great advantage due to the weather service giving us warnings hours and even days in advance that prepared us as much as possible for the storms. Nevertheless, none of us knew the exact location of where the storms would hit--even advanced weather radar is still unable to give pin-point accuracy. So, we prepared. We planned our day's activities around the time of the storm, we made sure we had needed supplies in case we needed them later, and we checked on loved ones to make sure all were okay. We do our best to be wisely prepared.

All throughout time, we have watched the skies. Weather plays a very crucial part in our day-to-day existence. It not only predicts whether the ballgame or picnic will happen, it also alerts the boats on the water and the planes in the sky of impending trouble. Watching the weather is certainly not a new invention. Even in Biblical times the adage "Red sky at morning, sailor take warning" was much-depended upon for safe sailing of the seas. With the passage of time, we now have very elaborate equipment that can forecast even the suggestion of a storm, much as it did last Sunday.

God tells us that He, too, is a forecaster--the perfect forecaster. He's always 100 percent correct in his predictions. He tells us to become better at being forecasters of our surroundings here on Earth. The world is indeed changing, and not necessarily for the better. The winds are stirring; the storms are brewing. The proverbial sky is red and threatening. These signs of inclement weather are our watches and warnings to be prepared for in heading to shelter--the shelter of God's perfect love and protection. We need to be vigilant in keeping a lookout for ourselves and others to stay safe from the coming storms. We'll never have a better storm shelter than the one God offers us; upon acceptance of Him and His son as our Savior, we have constant shelter. As the children's Sunday School song goes, "His shelter over me is love." What more could we need?

So, let's all keep alert with an eye to the skies. Let's also keep alert for the signs of the ultimate beautiful day of Christ's return.

Peace be with you.