It’s another rainy morning.
As I sit down to read my Bible, pray, and write, it is pouring down. It’s quite a stark contrast to last year.
In fact, I think we have had more rain in July than we received all of last year!
The drought was hard on us. Oppressive heat and lack of moisture dried out vegetation and brought on the worse wildfire in the state’s history.
Animals suffered as the creeks, rivers, and lakes dried up to dust.
I watched as Sam Rayburn Reservoir faded from view, revealing a lake bed full of stumps, old trotlines, and dirt.
The Attoyac River actually became a trickle and then stopped flowing.
Green hay fields turned dead and brown.
While the whole state has not had the rain that the coastal, eastern, and northern areas have had, it is still much better than last year.
This year those dry, hot conditions have moved to others states with Colorado wildfires and temperatures in the Midwest states topping over 100 degrees.
The blame for this weather is on back to back La Nina’s or global warming.
Does anyone want to blame sin?
It was true in the days of Amos; “I kept the rain from falling when your crops needed it the most. I sent rain on one town but withheld it from another. Rain fell on one field, while another field withered away. People staggered from town to town looking for water, but there was never enough. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord. Amos 4:7-8
Israel was guilty of forsaking God.
“If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them, then hear from heaven and forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them to follow the right path, and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as their special possession. 1 Kings 8:35-36
Again a message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: In the day of my indignation, you will be like a polluted land, a land without rain. Your princes plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land. Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them. Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money! And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say, ‘My message is from the Sovereign Lord,’ when the Lord hasn’t spoken a single word to them. Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice. Ezek 22:23-29
Even Jeremiah spoke of a lack of rain as judgment for the people forsaking the Lord. (Jer 14)
What is the solution? Repentance! Let us seek God and His blessing. Let us forsake what we can do with our own hands and become dependent on what God can do.
I’ll remind you of the words of 2 Chron 7:13-15 – At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.