To Live is Christ — knowing who controls the rain

In my part of the world, weather patterns are becoming extreme. Last year, our area didn’t have any serious rain until June. This spring, trees were dying. Although rainfalls are normal, the water table is still low. South of us, it rained so much this week that bridges and roads washed away. Many homes have been destroyed. The Trans-Canada highway was flooded and closed. Recently seeded fields are covered in water, offering farmers little hope for any crops or income this year.

World weather isn’t much better. In some places there has been snow when it should have been summer, and heat waves when it should have been winter. I have to wonder if the One who controls the weather is trying to make a point, trying to wake up a spiritually sleepy population to the danger of forgetting Him?

My devotional reading uses a verse from a passage about what is called the “last days” or the period between the first coming of Jesus and the second. It describes those who are spiritually dense to the plan of God for the world and its people.

. . . Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. (2 Peter 3:3–10)

As I read this, I am aware of scoffers, but have to say one good thing about them — at least they are aware that Jesus did promise He would return. They might make fun of it and choose not to change their lives because of it, but they do know the promise. What burdens me are the millions that are totally oblivious to spiritual things and to the plan of God. They live out their lives in ignorance of sin and their need to repent and be forgiven. So many do not know that Jesus Christ is a real person who came from God to earth so we could have eternal life.

Fewer still realize He is coming back, but even those who believe cannot predict when Jesus will return. Christians have a general idea because the Bible reveals some of what will happen, but we cannot predict the day or the hour and when we talk about it, scoffers laugh. They don’t see the changes in the world, or if they do, they think God is not involved. They overlook the fact of creation and decide that the world just happened. Order came from chaos, something came from nothing, and there is no master plan, no designer of all the complications of our universe.

For many also, the weather patterns are caused by human beings making carbon footprints. They forget that weather has been happening for a long time, far longer than the discovery and use of oil and gas. It seems to me that it requires a huge ego to think that people cause weather changes.

Yet Bible passage hints how that supposition can happen. The darkness and ignorance concerning God’s plan for the world are choices made because of sin. Sin, defined as doing our own thing apart from God, says that “I will. . . .” and does not want anything to do with God or even admit that He is out there. For sinners, this means denying creation and the power of God and denies or mocks the return of Christ.

For Christians, or at least for me, this scoffing produces conflicting desires. On one hand I want God to open their eyes, show them the truth, and make them aware of their need for forgiveness. I want to see the scoffers saved and glorifying God.

On the other hand I want God to vindicate Himself and show them how foolish they are. I want Jesus to come back and deal with the nonsense of sin and the resistance of sinners. The Bible says that when He does, “every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord” and I want to be able to say “I told you so.”

But God is not like me. He is patient. He could say the word and wake everyone up, but He waits. He wants people to know the truth and repent from their sin. He does not want anyone to perish.

As I wait and watch too, I’m reminded of the power of God on the weather channel. I can see His glory in the pale sunrise as well as the downpour. I see His grace in the sunshine and know His fury in the wind. I marvel with the psalmist who wrote,

He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. . . . He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow. (Psalm 147:8, 16–18)

Yesterday’s news showed one farmer whose land was under water. He was angry and blaming the government for this flood! How incredible! Who is man? We think we are so powerful, but our strength is made of straw. While our knowledge increases and technology becomes more intricate and even amazing, not one of us can gather the wind in our fist or turn the breezes from the east to the west, or send showers on one field and not another.

All this is to remind us that God is God — and we are puny, sinful people in need of His grace.