Part 1 of 2

Recently I was listening to a talk program on a local radio station. The main topic was about the damage done by the tornado which struck central Oklahoma like a savage monster on May 3rd. One man with a foreign accent called in with a question.

"Mr Mike, I want to ask you something. How do you think we can prevent this problem of tornadoes? If you don't have an answer, I do."

"Okay, my friend, what is your answer?"

"Americans need to build houses smaller and closer to the ground. There needs to be big storm shelters underground for every neighborhood. That will save lives."

"The storm shelters might be a good idea, but with 314 miles per hour winds, I don't think any house will stand up against that kind of blasting. These tornadoes were so close to the ground that they uprooted grass. They twisted and broke off trees as if they were match sticks. With 5,000 plus houses being destroyed, several apartment buildings and at least two schools being hit hard, I think the number of 43 dead is phenomenal. Now you asked me `How to prevent these tornadoes from occurring?' and I really don't think your answer tells us how to prevent these storms."

"Oh, no human being can stop these tornadoes, but we need to be better prepared for them when they come."

As I listened to the two men talking, I pondered the question: How can we prevent tornadoes? Does any human being have the power to stop tornadoes or to tell them where to go? American insurance companies label tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes as "acts of God."

Our Lord God JEHOVAH has power in His voice to speak all things into existence. (Genesis 1.) He will send the rain when He pleases (Matthew 5:45) and He can calm the stormy winds with His voice. (Mark 4:41.) He is omnipotent, with the universe under His control. (Psalm 107.) If He had wanted to, He could have stopped those tornadoes from hitting central Oklahoma. Surely there were hundreds of prayers pleading with Him to hold back those strong, damaging winds. Why did He not prevent the storm? Was it an act of punishment? Did He not like those people?

God has been asked questions like these a multitude of times. Some four thousand years ago Job questioned the Lord when he was tried and tested. He wrote in Job 14:1-2: "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not." Surely Job had plenty of reason to doubt the Lord's wisdom in taking everything from him, including health. However, Job kept his integrity with the Lord and "in all this did not Job sin with his lips." (Job 2:3,10.) In the end he was blessed with a double abundance of what he previously owned.

Job`s faith in God brought him through the negative counsel and insults his three friends poured upon him. They told Job he must have sinned and greatly displeased God. Job admitted his weakness and insignificance, but He trusted in God stating: "I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee." (Job 42:2.) Unwavering faith in God's power and wisdom was a shelter to Job during his trial. He understood that he was a man born into troubles and the best way to survive them was to cling to the Lord.

Every human being inherited sin and troubles from Adam and Eve when they willingly disobeyed the Lord. (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12-21; I Corinthians 15:22-49.) In the beginning God made a paradise of peace and rest for man and woman. He did not bring problems to man---the man and woman chose the way of sorrow when they wanted to be wise like God and therefore ate of the fruit.

Though the plan of salvation makes a way for us to live at peace with God, it does not guarantee any person a carefree life of ease. Never give a sinner the false hope that "if you will just get saved, God will solve all your troubles." There is no scripture that will give this promise, but there are many that assure the Christian:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28.

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." I Corinthians 10:13.