The Bible Column - God uses weather to fulfill His will (Part 2)

“When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them: Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance. If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; I Kings 8:35-37
“And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” Deuteronomy 10:12-13
The subject of “God, The Weather, and Mankind”, is but one part of God’s dealing with and helping His beloved creation to be found serving Him. The God of Heaven longs for mankind to look to Him, obey and serve Him, for their good! The “principles” from the Scriptures above, express God’s will for His entire creation in becoming His children through faith, and then to obey Him! Notice that God’s ways are for “our good”. That is God’s best for us!
God in His love and concern for His creation uses flood waters, hailstorms, thunder, lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, drought, famines, pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, caterpillar, waterspouts, waves, billows, enemy, plague, or sickness to gain the attention of a wayward people! God also uses some of these weather events to replenish and refurbish the earth for our prosperity! Additionally, God uses heartache, loss, disappointment, and discouragement to gain our attention as well!
Then comes the humbling part! Since, God tries to gain our attention for our “good”, and since God knows all,…and how to accomplish, “for our good”, we are wise if we will respond to God’s blessing, chastisement and call to obedience and holiness in humility toward Him!
In Hebrews 3:15 we read, “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” “Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear.” Psalm 10:17 “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” Psalm 86:5
What is your response to God’s call and pleading today?