“In the quest to find an earthquake predictor, elephants, horses, wolves, snakes and fish have all been variously put forward.” (see Breitbart.com ) However the validity behind efforts to show that animal behavior can be used to predict earthquakes has been questionable — perhaps until now. Now it appears that toads, male common toads (Bufo bufo) to be exact, may actually give up to five days warning of an impending earthquake. The result of a fortuitous coincidence, a researcher named Rachel Grant happened to be studying the mating habits of toads ten days before April 6, 2009. That was the day when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit the town of L’Aquila, Italy. More than 300 people died as a result of the quake. (see the NY Times Article L’Aquila Earthquake 2009)

Rachel Grant, a biologist, noticed that while the male toads normally congregate at the breeding site and stay for the duration of the mating season, this time 96% of the male toads fled the breeding site five days before the quake. She also noted that numbers of breeding pairs of toads dropped to zero three days before the quake. (see Breitbart.com )

Want to know a good predictor for earthquakes in your life? When your numbers drop, when you’re no longer congregating — at church — you’re earthquake is coming. Over the years as I’ve observed Christians who fall out of fellowship, I’ve found that over time they become a different person, their behavior changes, noticeably, to those who close to them. But, like the proverbial frog in the pot of slowly heated water, the one who has neglected his or her fellowship doesn’t seem to notice. When you drift from God’s pattern of regular fellowship at church and regular fellowship with God through prayer and reading His word you likely won’t notice anything at first.

But slowly, almost imperceptibly, the earthquake will come.

Stay in regular fellowship with Jesus. Stay in regular fellowship with His body, with His people. Stay close to Him.

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;

Psalm 91:2-4