God's Involvement in Weather Disturbances (Episode 115)

Have you ever thought about God’s possible involvement in weather disturbances such as hurricanes and tornadoes? These can be deadly. For instance, Hurricane Katrina killed well over 1000 people. Do you wonder what God may be saying through these horrific events? In this episode, Evangelist Frank King addresses this subject.

Generally speaking, weather disturbances are natural occurrences. They come about when air and warm water interact, and the wet air above the water rises. This leaves an area of lower air pressure above the ocean’s surface which is quickly filled by air in the surrounding areas.

It’s interesting that the airline industry often refers to bad weather resulting in flight cancellations or delays as acts of God. This they do because they think that relieves them from having to compensate their angry customers for the flight delays. But, again, these dangerous weather disturbances are natural occurrences.

But God CAN send storms and hurricanes and other weather disturbances as well. Such a declaration goes against the grain of some people’s beliefs. God is a loving God they say. He would never send deadly and destructive storms and hurricanes.

But there are some deadly events in the Old Testament that clearly came from God. Some believers argue that the deadly events attributed to God in the Bible simply means He allowed them. That is understood to be the case at times. But, for instance, consider the 10 plagues in Egypt. God did not simply allow those ten plagues.  He actively sent them—including a grievous hailstorm. In fact, God sent them to the intent that Pharaoh and the Egyptians would know that He was God (Exodus 7:5).

Two Storms from God

As further evidence that weather disturbances can come from God at times, here is a quick summary of two storms attributed to God in the Bible. One was aimed at Jonah the prophet. Not wanting to preach to Nineveh, he tried to run from God by boarding a ship. “But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken” (Jonah 1:4).

The storm was so violent that everybody on board began crying out to their God. It was not until the men on board threw Jonah overboard that the raging storm ceased. This made way for God to send a big fish to swallow up Jonah.

Also, in Psalm 107, the psalmist speaks of a storm commanded by God. “For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea,” the psalmist writes (Psalm 107:25, NASB).

Regarding those caught in the storm, “Their soul melted away in their misery” (verse 26). Moreover, “They reeled and staggered like a drunken man, and were at their wits’ end” (verse 27). Clearly, this storm the psalmist attributes to God was life-threatening.

Even though the psalmist says God sent the storm, when the men prayed to God, He calmed the storm. “They cried to the Lord in their trouble”….”He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed” (verses 28-29).

Again, by and large, weather disturbances are natural occurrences. But God CAN send at times send storms and the like.