It Is Not "Mother Nature"

As this is being written, rain pelts down outside and the wind is beginning to swirl with a greater intensity. A cold front is moving through, threatening severe weather and promising to drop the temperature significantly. We North Carolinians pay more attention to rain now, since the staggering floods brought just weeks ago by Hurricane Floyd. The pictures were hard to believe - water as high as stoplights, men in boats ducking to pass under power lines. Our state has never seen so much devastation caused by flooding.

In connection with all this, frequent mention has been made of the strength and fury of "Mother Nature" and the terrible "luck" of our neighbors to the east. The idea seems to be that some random, impersonal force, a force which acts by pure chance, is responsible for such phenomena. God's Word in the Bible presents an entirely different explanation. Consider the following:

"He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion. When He utters His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind out of His treasuries."
Jer. 10:12-13

"The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet."

Nahum 1:3

God would have us understand that He created and controls the universe, including the weather. Thus, while careful observation has enabled us to understand how storm clouds form and intensify, we yet cannot explain why they form at certain times and places or why the winds come and carry them in a particular direction. We cannot explain or predict the precise place that lightning will strike or that a hurricane will make land. All of this is God's work; He claims the responsibility. He commands us to recognize and respect His works.

Moreover, Nahum 1:3 declares that God uses weather phenomena to execute judgment. Does that mean that our friends to the east are worse sinners that we? No, or course not. But the floods and earthquakes and windstorms that are bringing so much damage and death to many parts of the earth testify plainly that God is paying attention to the moral and spiritual conduct of our generation. He is angry with the wanton murder (especially abortion). He sees the desecration of marriage through fornication, adultery, and homosexuality. He hears the profuse lies by which people misrepresent Him and carry on relationships and business. God has not given up His seat as the Supreme Judge of all earth.

Mankind is fond of telling himself that God is our celestial Santa Claus who only blesses and never curses. The Word of God speaks otherwise. The weather speaks otherwise. We would be wise to cease listening to unfounded conjecture and come to terms with what is, namely, the living God who rules over all in power, holiness, and justice. The storms are actually acts of mercy warning us of an infinitely worse judgement yet to come and calling us to repent of our sins and to believe in Jesus Christ. It is Christ who endured the wrath of God so that He could provide invincible protection from that wrath for everyone who trusts in Him.

It is not Mother Nature. It is our Creator calling us to repentance and to faith in His Son. Will we listen?