Introduction:
We had one of the most unusual February in the History of Boston. With record
breaking snow fall levels and chilling temperatures New Englanders have been
literally “slammed” in their faces. It was interesting to note that as the
temperatures fell at times below Zero, the tempers of people rose to hysterical
levels on the roads, in parking places, in the streets and not to mention in homes
as well. These epic level storms are bringing out the “good, the bad and the
ugly in people including among Christians. They exposed the inefficiencies in
the administration when it comes to dealing with catastrophic level
emergencies.
The
MBTA stood still, the vibrant Bostonian night life took a knockout punch; the
businesses were hard hit (for certain businesses snow became the “white Gold”)
Last Sunday’s blizzard tested even
the most dedicated churchgoers, as many churches closed their services. When
you observe all this “Snow Mania” what goes through your mind? One cannot but
wonder what has come of the most resilient people; the Bostonians who takes
pride in their success, championships, and a bid for 2024 Olympics. What is
coming of the city that boasts of being “BOSTON STRONG” and all of a sudden it
seems like as if we are plunged right back into an “ICE AGE”
Are we really that strong and resilient? These
two credentials have been put to a severe test in the past weeks. It appears to
me that we are coming to terms with nature’s fury. It is proving to us after
all that we are not that strong to handle these epic level storms. Are these
merely nature’s out of whack phenomenon or God’s warning signs that we need to
pay close attention to? Who actually owns nature? Who controls nature?
The meteorologists, the media and the government
talk and act like as if they do, but are they? The world is spinning as it
should because someone else is controlling it and He does what He wishes to do.
In order to find out who really controls the weather we will turn to the
ancient scriptures. Nowadays we have so much advanced technology with which you
can track the path, the intensity and possibly the impact of the storm before
it even occurs. But with all the technology we have lost our senses of owe,
wonder and appreciation for the supernatural.
Marva Dawn laments, “If there is anything missing
in our technicized culture it is wonder.” Isn’t it true? We no longer wonder
over what our forefathers had wondered about? I wonder what they would have thought had they
seen this amount of snow all at once. I
want us to go even back in time to see how people viewed these natural
calamities. Let the scriptures speak:
DOES NATURE KNOW WHO CONTROLS IT? (Scriptures say
a lot about snow)
1.
“The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse
of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of
your hands.” Deuteronomy 28:12
2. “The Lord
does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all
their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends
lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.” Psalm
135: 6-7
3. “When
he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends
of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his
storehouses.” Jer 51:16
4. He
says to the snow, “Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty
downpour.’ Job 37:6
5.
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the
hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? Job
38:22-23
6. “He spreads the snow like wool and scatters
the frost like ashes.” Psalm 147:16
7.
“Lightning and hail, snow and clouds, Stormy winds that do his bidding,” Psalm
148:8
Just
like today life went on even on a snowy day.
“Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed
great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down
into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.” 2 Chronicles 11:22
Though
we see all these scriptures clearly stating that God is the one who is in
control of the nature just like today at times God’s people did not pay close
attention to what He was trying to say to them through nature. But at times it was the ungodly, the heathen who
wondered about the power of God over nature.
The story of Jonah shows how the heathen were afraid.
Jonah
1st chapter. Jonah thought that he could run away from God. He
bought his way to go to Tarshish. Vs 4, “The LORD hurled a great wind on the
sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break
up.” The sailors tries their best to get
the ship under control, they were simply afraid and began to cry out to their
god. But our friend Jonah was fast asleep. They came up to him and asked him,
where do you come from, what do you do, what is your country, from what people
are you?
Jonah
said, “I am a Hebrew and I fear the LORD, (really?) God of heaven who made the
sea and the dry land.” Upon hearing, the men were extremely frightened. They
tried even harder to keep the ship from sinking. Vs 14, Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s
life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.”
They picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea
stopped its raging. Vs 16, “At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they
offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.” I wonder how many people
these days would have such fear of God when they encounter such similar
experience. They might be quick to explain it away through science or some
other logic. But the ancients approached these natural, catastrophes differently;
many exhibited awe of God, who created the heavens and the earth and rules it
by His power.
I would like us to see how awesome our God is. Let’s restore the
wonder that has been sadly lost by the advance of science and technology. Our
God is beyond all description. By His word he created everything and by his
hand He sustains everything. He knows the names of all the stars in the
galaxies; he calls them one by one and they obey him. The wind and the rain and the snow is subject
to him and he uses them for his purposes. The whole nature is subject to Him.
Deuteronomy 33:26, “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who
rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty.” Last
week I have encouraged us to cry out to the LORD, and several of you did, and
that mighty God came to our rescue and we are having a service today. Not only
in times of trouble but in all areas of our lives God is waiting to get
involved, the question is will you let him have full control of your life?
Next time when you are overwhelmed by situations that are beyond
your control, think of the one who is really in control of everything. In
conclusion what should be our response to such an awesome God? Let’s see what
the Psalmist has to say in Psalm 95 “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us
kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his
pasture, the flock under his care.” Amen
