On March 2nd, 2010, the residents of Lajamanu, Australia must have felt like they dreaming when perch began to fall from the sky. Located 400 miles south of Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory, this remote desert town is several hundred miles from the nearest body of water. However, on this day, a water spout likely collected these fish, sending them up into the atmosphere. When the high winds finally died down, hundreds of spangled perch fell back to earth, most of them still alive. This bizarre occurrence conjures up images of Jesus feeding 5,000 people in John 6:1-15. Perhaps a similar weather system brought fish to the mountains of Israel after Jesus prayed.
According to Richard Shears, this might not be as far fetched as once thought. Pliny the Elder wrote about storms that brought frogs and fish to the Middle East during the first century. In 1794, near Lille, France, French soldiers witnessed toads falling from the sky during a heavy rain storm. An unique weather front in Lake County, California brought 2 days of sugar crystals as big as quarters 60 years later. Meanwhile, other reports include meat tasting like venison falling to earth over Kentucky in 1876, a Russia tornado raining coins from the 16th century and the most recent, raining blackbirds and pigeons over the skies of San Luis Opisbo, California during a 2 day storm in 1976. Although, these events may not be entirely God ordained, it does give people hope that the Lord has the power to bring blessings into a deserted region.
The expression “all good things must come to an end on earth” is inaccurate, especially for those individuals who have not experienced or tasted goodness to this point in life. Thus, misery loves company as the disappointed, failures and unfortunate revel in their negativity, suffocating anyone who wishes for sunny days ahead. Maybe this is why the apostle Paul adds 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 to middle of his chapter on the resurrection. If you surround yourself with doubting Thomas’, you will likely desert your beliefs. Therefore, the best way to turn disbelief into faith is by coming to your senses, flee from sin and acknowledge the signs of a living God. When this process is complete, the Lord has the power to send blessings into a previously deserted faith.
by Jay Mankus