I typically try to keep a close eye on the weather forecast. With the need to get my dogs out at least a couple of times a week, I have to stay informed about the weather so that I can plan which days would be the best ones for a hike. Last week, however, my knowledge of the weather forecast did me no good.

According to the initial forecast, rain was supposed to come in late Wednesday afternoon and last until late Friday night. With this in mind, I made the decision to take the dogs out early Wednesday morning. That way, we could get in a good, long hike and get back home before the bad weather came in. We had hiked nearly two miles when it became extremely dark and the sky began to rumble with thunder. We turned back, but it was too late. We were caught in the storm. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed. The wind howled and the rain pelted. We walked/jogged the two miles up the mountain to reach the truck. Within five minutes of reaching it, the storm blew over. It didn't rain again the rest of the day (unless you count the water dripping off me all the way home).

Wednesday evening, Jason and I looked at the forecast again. It was saying that there was a break in the weather until late Thursday afternoon. "Great!" I said, knowing that I needed to run some errands and didn't want to have to do so in the rain. Guess what? We woke up to rain Thursday morning. It stopped shortly before I left for my errands, and thankfully, held off most of the day. We got one small misting in the late afternoon. That was it!

Just to keep informed, we checked the forecast again on Thursday night. In the initial forecast, Friday was supposed to hold the most severe storms. However, by Thursday night, the Friday forecast had changed to cloudy with only a 20% chance of rain. As I type this post (on Friday), the wind is blowing the rain against my window. It looks like night time outside. Twenty percent, huh?

With the events of the past few days, I must draw one of two conclusions. (1) The weathermen have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, or (2) The weather is in such a constant state of change that it is nearly impossible to predict. Who knows? They may both be true.

Aren't you glad that God, unlike the weather, is unchangeable? While His methods may be impossible to predict, His love, mercy, and grace are quite predictable. Want to know more about how God can and will work in your life? Look at how He's worked in the past. He is the same God that parted the Red Sea for Moses. He is the same God that delivered Daniel from the lion's den. He is the same God that raised Lazarus from the dead. And He is the same God that defeated death and the grave. He will never change. No matter what the weather may hold, we can rest assured that we can always count on God, for He is dependable and His goodness is predictable. Even the weathermen can't go wrong there!