Reply-To: "Stu" <[log in to unmask]>
From: "Stu" <[log in to unmask]>


When The Weather Says No


Because I travel so much, I probably watch the Weather Channel as 
much as anything on TV. Not long ago, I just sat back in amazement as 
I watched them track this monster low pressure system, moving across 
the country. By the time it reached the Eastern United States, that 
low pressure system stretched on the Weather Channel map from the 
Maritime Provinces in Canada all the way to Mexico! It was massive! 
And everywhere it went, it left flooding rains, heavy snows, or even 
violent weather. In Minnesota, for example, this low pressure system 
registered the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded. All across 
the eastern half of the country, the news reported massive power 
outages, cancellations, and delays. For millions of Americans, 
whatever they had planned, it just didn't happen.

Let's talk about "When the Weather Says No."

One thing a night like that turbulent weather night demonstrates is 
this: God can change your plans anytime. And He may be bringing some 
weather into your life right now to do just that.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 148, 
beginning with verse 1. It's a Psalm that reaches across the universe 
to celebrate the scope of God's power, God's control, and to remind 
us of the size of the God we belong to. Here's what it says: "Praise 
the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights 
above. Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him all His heavenly hosts. 
Praise Him sun and moon, praise Him all you shining stars ... Praise 
the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean 
depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds ..." And then, this 
phrase that just leaped out at me, "Praise the Lord ... stormy winds 
that do His bidding."

Obviously, this refers to the physical storms that blow through our 
lives, but I believe it's true of all the stormy winds that hit us: 
medical storms, financial storms, emotional storms, all those 
"turbulences" that take things out of our control. They are "stormy 
winds that do His bidding."

If you're feeling some of those stormy winds right now, remember God 
is asserting His sovereignty over your life, and over your plans, and 
over your priorities, and your timing. He is in charge, and 
sometimes, we forget that. But as His stormy winds move across the 
weather map of our lives, we can remember again that "our times are 
in His hands." If it's stormy right now, consider what He might be 
trying to say to you. As Solomon tells us, "When times are good, be 
happy; when times are bad, consider ..."
(Ecclesiastes 7:14).
Is God trying to slow you down? Does He want you to reconsider? Is He 
trying to get you to change course? Is He trying to get your 
attention because you've been ignoring something He's trying to say 
to you, or something He's trying to do in your life? Don't just stand 
there frustrated because His weather has messed up your plans. Don't 
fight what He's trying to do. Listen for God in this storm!

It's hard to be a follower of Jesus when you're a rigid person. 
Following someone requires flexibility because you never know when 
your leader is going to speed up, or slow down, or make a turn, or 
change direction. Actually, flexibility is fundamental to being able 
to follow the dynamic leadership of
Jesus Christ. And the storm is a lot more bearable when you go with 
His flow, rather than flying stubbornly against it.

The stormy wind blowing in your life right now is doing God's 
bidding. Make sure that you are!
Stu
Stuart Swartz
616 E. Boothe
Cleveland, Tx.  77327
281-659-0629
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IF YOU WORRY, YOU DIDN'T PRAY.  IF YOU HAVE PRAYED, DON'T WORRY.