What did you think about the rain that fell on Tuesday? A neighbour told me that he was on the 401 when the storm hit, and he could barely see. A summer version of a winter white-out!
The previous week saw a similar storm come through. I had just finished a wedding rehearsal under threatening skies when the skies opened up and watered the earth. The members of the bridal party barely made it back to their cars.
You may remember that we had prayed for rain on the preceding Sunday. The Executive Director of the Christian Reformed Church, Rev. Joel Boot, had sent an urgent appeal throughout the denomination asking congregations to pray for relief from the severe drought that has gripped us this summer. So we prayed for rain at Hope Fellowship Church. Other churches prayed, too. And God answered our prayers.
Of course, a meteorologist could simply explain that the rain was a natural weather event. Water evaporates from the earth and sooner or later the clouds that are formed become so saturated with liquid that rain is released. A thunderstorm can be understood simply in terms of colliding cold fronts and warm fronts.
But if you agree with Psalm 24:1 that “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,” you will join Jesus in giving God the ultimate credit for causing “his sun to rise on the evil and the good” and sending “rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).
Not only do people tend to explain away God’s blessings; they also tend to complain. Before the rain fell, we had only received 8.2 mm. of rain in July. Thanks to the two rainfalls late in July, we ended the month with a healthy, although late, 60.2 mm. But in our neighbourhood, as the clouds darkened the sky, I immediately began hearing concerns about the rain’s potential negative impact on weekend plans. It seems that we want God to bless us, but preferably on our terms.
Explaining and complaining aside, the rain God finally sent us last month is July’s most hopeful story!
- Pastor Peter
The previous week saw a similar storm come through. I had just finished a wedding rehearsal under threatening skies when the skies opened up and watered the earth. The members of the bridal party barely made it back to their cars.
You may remember that we had prayed for rain on the preceding Sunday. The Executive Director of the Christian Reformed Church, Rev. Joel Boot, had sent an urgent appeal throughout the denomination asking congregations to pray for relief from the severe drought that has gripped us this summer. So we prayed for rain at Hope Fellowship Church. Other churches prayed, too. And God answered our prayers.
Of course, a meteorologist could simply explain that the rain was a natural weather event. Water evaporates from the earth and sooner or later the clouds that are formed become so saturated with liquid that rain is released. A thunderstorm can be understood simply in terms of colliding cold fronts and warm fronts.
But if you agree with Psalm 24:1 that “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,” you will join Jesus in giving God the ultimate credit for causing “his sun to rise on the evil and the good” and sending “rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).
Not only do people tend to explain away God’s blessings; they also tend to complain. Before the rain fell, we had only received 8.2 mm. of rain in July. Thanks to the two rainfalls late in July, we ended the month with a healthy, although late, 60.2 mm. But in our neighbourhood, as the clouds darkened the sky, I immediately began hearing concerns about the rain’s potential negative impact on weekend plans. It seems that we want God to bless us, but preferably on our terms.
Explaining and complaining aside, the rain God finally sent us last month is July’s most hopeful story!
- Pastor Peter
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