A few weeks ago we watched the great ice storm of 1998 wreak havoc in eastern and central Canada. No-one was immune. People were forced to invent ways to get a cup of hot water for that cup of coffee on a cold night or simply to stay warm. With all the money and technology at man's disposal, not even Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, could have devised a plan to stop the freezing rain. Man was brought down to a lowly place of total helplessness, until God in His infinite love and mercy intervened. Finally there was a breakthrough. The rain ceased, the temperatures rose and the ice started melting. Praise God for His love and mercy toward us, even toward those who refuse to glorify Him as God.

They say that another storm is coming soon that will be worse than the last. But what about the even greater eternal storm, the wrath of The Most High God being poured out on those who refuse to acknowledge and glorify Him as God? Take time for a spiritual inventory to determine what your security in life is resting on. Write down everything that you hold dearest to your heart. Then strike off the ones that can be taken away from you by circumstances beyond your control. If you are not firmly rooted and standing on the solid rock of faith in Jesus Christ, you are on shaky ground. You will be beaten about by the storms. Remember that we have the assurance from scripture that absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let's be ready when the storms of life come. Like the eagle, let us use the storms to rise and soar to higher ground, closer to God in the heavens. Keep the skyward look.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your great love and mercy toward us. Help us to see where we have allowed other things to take your place of devotion in our lives. Give us humble repentant hearts that our lives will glorify your name. Amen.

In the wake of this storm and other recent events, there has been media hype implying that this unusual weather was caused by El Niño. I heard so much about it that I checked it out on the Internet. I learned that El Niño is the disruption of the entire oceanic-atmospheric system in the tropical Pacific Ocean. This occurrence often causes a major departure from average in temperature and precipitation on a global scale. Geography was my worst subject in high school, so I'd better stop there

The question then is… is El Niño really to blame? How about El Elyon? In the Old Testament, God the creator of heaven and earth and everything in it, revealed Himself by several names which represented His character, His attributes and His nature. One of those names of God is El Elyon, The God Most High. This name designates God as the sovereign ruler of all the universe. It is The God Most High who rules today over the affairs of men. Nothing can happen without the ultimate sanction or permission of El Elyon. Read on:

Job 37:5-6,10-13 – God's voice thunders in marvellous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, "Fall on the earth," and to the rain shower "Be a mighty downpour." The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them. At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever He commands them. He brings the clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show his love.

If God is not sovereign and in control, then He is not The God Most High; and we are either in the hands of fate (whatever that is), or in the hands of man or of the devil.

Prayer: Lord I thank you that even when it seems that the world is falling apart, that I can be reminded of your sovereignty and love. Thank you that you give us peace and shelter in the midst of the storms. Amen.