Rainy Days - Part 3
“Yet He did not leave Himself without witness, for He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:17, ESV
When I was a young boy, I had a habit of letting the water run while brushing my teeth. I cannot count how many times my parents howled, “Richard, turn that water off!” They said I didn’t pay the bills and was therefore wasting their water. If you’ve ever heard anything of the kind, then I have a sneaky suspicion you and I had the same bad habit and, possibly, the same good parents.
Water is a precious, natural resource. It is literally necessary for life and living. For those of us who have ready access to a seemingly endless supply, water is easily taken for granted. Long, hot showers are a necessity, not a luxury. Twelve, half-empty water bottles rolling around in the car is normal, not nonsense. Pouring dish water down the drain is inevitable, not insensitive. Flushing the toilet 25 times is essential, not excessive. But, those who are accustomed to managing life with limited water help us appreciate its value.
If you Google “Bermuda,” your eyes will delight in spectacular pictures of sunlight dazzling like diamonds on the azure blue sea and shorelines carpeted by elegant pink sand. Pastel-colored houses dot the hilly landscape, all covered with white, stepped roofs. The roofs are both aesthetically unique and functionally imperative. Not only do they reflect ultraviolet rays, but they also aid in the important process of rain harvesting.
Since Bermuda does not have freshwater bodies like rivers, streams, or lakes, the stepped roofs help to capture and direct rainwater to underground tanks. Thus, each house is self-sufficient as long it rains. Once, I visited during a time when the Island was literally praying for rain. Tanks were running low and ordering desalinized water was expensive. By the weekend, the heavens opened, and rain fell generously. The Island rejoiced!
Today’s Scripture lesson teaches us that rain is a witness to God’s kindness and His care.
God operates with perfect equity in the distribution of nature’s benefits. Neither God’s daylight nor rainfall is a respecter of persons. Rain is just one feature of nature that highlights God’s unconditional love and impartial goodness. Psalm 147:8 reminds us that “He covers the sky with clouds; He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.” If you’ve ever questioned God’s kindness or His care, remember His rain.
This week, reflect on the following:
“Nature and revelation alike testify of God's love. Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures. The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains,
all speak to us of the Creator's love.”
Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, 9
You’re Already Loved,
Pastor Martin
7/3/2020