PLAGUES OF LOCUSTS

Thursday – January 16, 2020

Posted

“And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.” – Revelation 9:3

In November 2019, the United Nations (UN) reported that if an Ethiopian locust infestation is not brought under control then the crop-devouring insect could "invade" neighboring countries.

The Ethiopian government has called for "immediate action" to deal with the problem affecting four of the country's nine states, a UN statement said.

In northern Amhara state some farmers have lost "nearly 100%" of their crop of the staple grain, teff, it added.

Efforts to control the infestation have so far not been effective.

"We need to act fast and mobilize the required resources urgently to scale up control and preventive measures," FAO Ethiopia representative Fatouma Seid said.

Overall, the desert locusts have devoured crops and pasture across a swathe of land covering parts of the Tigray, Amhara, Oromia and Somali regional states.

The FAO estimated that the insects were eating 1.8 million tons of vegetation a day across 135 square miles of the country.

If additional control measures fail then the locusts "could continue moving within Ethiopia and invade" northeastern Kenya, parts of Eritrea, and Sudan's southern coast, the FAO said.

The locusts are thought to have spread from Yemen.

During natural calamities, Christ is still Lord of all. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that no matter what calamity may occur, God is always in control.

“Oh! For a spirit that bows always before the sovereignty of God.” – Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.” – Exodus 10:18-19