Hurricane Beryl has definitely been a phenomenon that has baffled many of the most experienced meteorologists who have weathered many storms. It is the earliest category 5 hurricane of the season in history. And its characteristics have confused many proficient prognosticators which has made Beryl somewhat unpredictable. I watched a couple weather experts as they looked at their graphics being perplexed as it seemed as if this huge hurricane was pushing aside the wind shear, which is not supposed to happen. Wind shear usually hurts these tropical cyclones, but it wasn’t doing much to stop Beryl as she intensified rapidly barreling towards Jamaica. The forecasters had predicted that as the hurricane entered the western Caribbean the storm would decrease in strength because the waters were cooler there. Well, that didn’t happen either. A category 5 storm was targeting Jamaica in the western Caribbean, and I learned even more that I cannot always trust the predictions of man because they were uncertain, but I could seek and trust my God who is always certain.
While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. Psalm 146:2-4
I was crying out to God to help my island and be a shelter for my family and friends in this storm. I had been through a very bad hurricane which nearly decimated the island, and the one approaching was stronger. I couldn’t believe it. I prayed until I was tired. I joined with my friends in Jamaica in prayers for God to do what He had done so many times before and reroute the hurricane or make it disappear because there is nothing too hard for Him. I was very happy to partner in prayer with others as Jesus says in the Book of Matthew that “if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven”. And He surely did it. The hurricane lessened to a category 4 and jogged further to the south. The country was spared a direct hit although in the southwestern side of the island the eyewall passed through a coastal tourist town causing catastrophic conditions. The area in which my family lives also sustained a lot of damage, but thankfully, God again spared Jamaica. The capital, Kingston, did not receive much damage although many people lost electricity. God is faithful and answers the prayers of those who faithfully seek Him.
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicle 7:14
Many of us Jamaicans, prayed interceding for our land and crying out for mercy as we stood in the gap and repented for the sins of the nation. We did not deserve God’s mercy, but His mercy is abundant. I know I have very little mercy and had to do a heart check as I paid close attention to the hurricane approaching Jamaica. I was watching the news keenly and I was angry when I saw the sellers refusing to leave the market in direct disobedience to the government which had put a curfew in place. I was angry. I told God I didn’t want to pray anymore if I had to be praying for these people to be safe. I really don’t even want to tell you about my thoughts towards them and where I wish the hurricane would go. Then, I remembered that I had family, friends, church brothers and sisters, and many other God-fearing people living in the country. I prayed to God like Abraham did that if there were ten righteous to save the nation. God heard the prayers of many, and He saved Jamaica from a direct hit from Hurricane Beryl.
The next day after the hurricane passed and my waves of wrath had receded, I thought about the vendors in the market. One lady while she cleaned her fingernails with a knife as she sat by her stall said God was not going to take her life. I listened to another tell a radio reporter that people say, “God is with us” as the interviewer questioned her plan of tying herself and her two dogs to the roof of the market if the hurricane was bad, and yet another said that God would not give him more than he could bear. That is not in the Bible and most people take a similar verse in 1 Corinthians 10:13 out of context which is speaking about temptation. However, God is not to be mocked is in the Bible. As I stopped to think about these people and their recklessness, I soon thought of a new perspective on their actions. Could this be reckless faith? Now, what they were doing for me was not common sense, but they truly believed that God was not going to abandon them in their time of trouble, and He would without a doubt save them. I am not sure I have this faith. Yet, a YouTuber who said she didn’t think much was going to happen as nothing much occurred in other hurricanes that passed but didn’t mention the Lord keeping her was surprised by the strength of the hurricane as it hit her home and cut down trees in her neighborhood. It makes me think that faith beats common sense.
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:19-20
I have learned in Hurricane Beryl that I need to have more faith, believing that God can do the impossible at all times because faith not only moves mountains, but also hurricanes. And, when we come together and pray in agreement God will answer and have mercy on us. Plus, I can’t always trust the science, but I can always trust God, the Creator of the Earth. When things seem uncertain, I can always be certain of Him. So as my family and many other Jamaicans fix their homes and wait for electricity to return, we must all keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
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