See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground. – Isaiah 28:2

Today's Scripture Reading (May 22, 2026): Isaiah 28

Tornado season has arrived. I live in the colder northern part of the world, which means that for a significant part of the year, tornadoes just aren't a worry. Blizzards, snow, and cold temperatures are the things we worry about during the winter months, and those are conditions under which tornadoes don't develop. In my part of the world, the first tornado of the "tornado season" usually occurs between late March and May. Usually, these tornadoes aren't very strong and cause very little damage. Dangerous tornadoes occur when the mercury rises and the days get hot. One of the worst tornadoes to hit this area happened on July 31, 1987. The tornado was rated F4 and stayed on the ground for just over an hour. Twenty-seven people died in the tornado, and it caused 332.27 million dollars in damage (the adjusted value in today's dollars is 796 million). I had a close friend who lived through the tornado. He was in an area destroyed by it, and he still remembers what sounded like a freight train rumbling through his neighborhood. Thirty years later, my friend still goes into a panic whenever he hears a tornado warning during the summer months. I don't blame him. I can't imagine what it was like to be that close to such a dangerous tornado.

Nature can have a powerful effect on our lives. Tornadoes and hurricanes are just the tip of the dangers nature poses to those of us living on Earth. Isaiah has seen some of the worst that nature can throw at an area. He speaks of hailstorms, something else that I see a lot of during the summer months, and destructive winds. Isaiah knows the power of driving rain and flooding that accompany various kinds of storms, which still afflict the Earth. Many of the worst storms are caused by an interaction between the hot and cold air currents. But the cause doesn't ease the damage these storms inflict on the people of the Earth.

Isaiah is speaking to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which he calls Ephraim. And he seems to be surprised by the pride of what he calls "Ephraim's drunkards." Ephraim has benefited from many things that are an accident of nature, yet they seem to miss that God put them there. Some dangers are threatening Ephraim, but God is strong enough to handle the threats that are coming, if only the nation would trust him. And if they need proof, all they need to do is look at the power of nature. If God can destroy with a hailstorm or with the wind, if these natural processes are at his command, what more does Ephraim need to know? He has the power to protect, if only the people would trust.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 29