According to Yahoo News (Jan. 17, 2011) a group of more than 100 scientists recently reported that “California faces the risk of a massive super storm that could flood a quarter of the state’s homes and cause $300-400 billion in damage. Researchers point that the potential scale of destruction in this storm scenario is four or five times the amount of damage that could be wrought by a major earthquake.”

These scientists “built a model that showed a storm could last for more than 40 days and dump 10 feet of water on the state.”

Forty days of non- stop rain…where have we heard that before?

Genesis 7:17 “For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased, they lifted the ark high above the earth.”

If you think about it, we have a parallel set of circumstances facing us today. In the New Testament, Matthew remarks that “…as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark…that is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” In Noah’s day there was an impending judgment, and people were blowing it off. In our day, we are doing the exact same thing!

Back then, God saw that the hearts of men were not focused on Him and His heart was grieved. His pursuit of justice would require a penalty. He aimed to remove men from the face of the earth. And yet, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” so the Lord provided an escape from the impeding judgment. The provision was an ark.

For up to a 100 years Noah chopped trees, sliced logs, sanded wood and pounded stakes into that flat bottomed boat. And all during that time, as he shared the message that God deserves our allegiance, the scoffers stood around and mocked him.

But, I will bet that the laughter and derision stopped as the water started to fill the streets, possessions began to float away and houses crumbled under the weight of the water. Forty days of non stop heavy rain will get the attention of anyone!

In spite of these scientists’ recent comments, I am not saying that another worldwide flood is coming. (In fact, God gave us the rainbow as a sign that He would not ever use that form of judgment again -see Gen. 9:12-17). But I am saying that God uses all kinds of things to get our attention, including natural disasters.

So, if it starts raining again this week, let’s give the flood some thought. And consider that with the cross, God has provided a way of escape from the judgment on sin for us too. It will be a much better topic of conversation than the weather!

By His Grace and for His Glory,
Sherry L. Worel