Sound the Alarm!

 by Macy Johnson

“Swarms of locusts will take over all your trees

and the crops of your land.”

(Deuteronomy 28:42 NIV)

 

To step out of my house these past weeks is to step into the movie set of “War of the Worlds.” The mating call of male cicadas resembles the sound of approaching alien aircraft in the 1953 film. The constant whirr, which is the loudest sound an insect can make, could bring a grown man to his knees like in the movie. I have been told that at some nearby locations, the sound is even more deafening than at our house.

 

The emergence of these multiple insect broods creates a feast for birds and gives the caterpillars a much-needed break. Trees suffer from cicada and caterpillar damage in their trunks and leaves. However, cicadas are not toxic and do not sting, so pets and humans can escape physical harm. What is my Lord teaching me in this strange occurrence?

 

Deuteronomy chapter twenty-eight provides a list of potential curses for the disobedient Israelite tribes. Locust swarms are included in that list. God’s children did not worship their Lord and forfeited the prosperity they had enjoyed after they escaped slavery in Egypt. The disturbing sounds of the large, flying insects are a warning to me, too.

 

Our Creator is in control. He fashioned the ecosystems and human systems that we enjoy. No human person can take credit for the life cycle of insects, like cicadas, or the change of seasons. My Lord propagates what He wants and teaches me how to live and serve in His kingdom. When I try to operate outside of His boundaries, I will fail and fall. God has set everything in time and space for His purposes, not mine.   

 

I will be alert to the warning signals my heavenly Father provides. I hope you will, too!