The Forecaster’s Mistake

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading today titled, A Forecasters Mistake, was written by Tim Gustafson. At noon on September 21, 1938, a young meteorologist warned the U.S. Weather Bureau of two fronts forcing a hurricane northward toward New England.

But the chief of forecasting scoffed at Charles Pierce's prediction. Surely a tropical storm wouldn't strike so far north. Two hours later, the 1938 New England hurricane made landfall on Long Island. By 4 p.m., it had reached New England tossing ships onto land as homes crumbled into the sea.

More than 600 people died. Had the victims received Pierce's warning, based on solid data and his detailed maps, they likely would have survived. The concept of knowing whose word to heed has precedent in scripture. In Jeremiah's day, God warned his people against false prophets.

Do not listen to them, he said. They fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not far from the mouth of the Lord. God said of them, if they had stood in my counsel, they would have proclaimed my words to my people. False prophets are still with us. So-called experts dispense advice while ignoring God altogether or twisting his words to suit their purposes. But through his word and spirit, God has given us what we need to begin to discern the false from the true. As we gauge everything by the truth of his word, our own words and lives will increasingly reflect that truth to others.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Jeremiah chapter 23 verses 16 through 22. This is what the Lord Almighty says. Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you.

They fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not far from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise me, the Lord says you will have peace. And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts, they say, no harm will come to you. But which of them has stood in the counsel of the Lord to see or to hear his word?

Who has listened and heard his word? See, the storm of the Lord will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart.

In days to come, you will understand it clearly. I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message. I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds. Now let's pray. God, so many claim to speak from you these days. Would you help us to learn what you really have to say? Make us sensitive to your spirit and not the spirit of this world. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Wes Ward, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.