Monday, April 13, 2009

Counting On His Providence

I was sitting at my table this morning catching up on a couple of day's worth of devotions because of Easter travel, and I glanced out at the overcast sky. I heard the trees sighing in the cold wind, their tops swaying and groaning as gusts blew in. Occasionally, the clouds would let loose with a brief sprinkling of icy rain. My first reaction was that it was going to be another cold Spring day amidst what seemed to be an endless winter and wondered if summer would ever come to these mountains.

Turning my eyes back to my Bible, the brief interlude of dismay over another gloomy day was quickly replaced with one of wonder and awe as I meditated on the changing seasons. I suddenly became embarrassed and a little ashamed at how I grumble and complain about the weather. I had fallen back into the trap of selfishness over how it disrupts my plans or inconveniences me. I think I am like all of us who believe that the weather should bow and answer to me rather than God Who knows what is best and Who changes the seasons for our benefit. After all, He is Creator and His creation responds to His will. Who am I to dictate to Him?

"But God made the earth by His power; He founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. When He thunders, the water in the heavens roar; He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses." Jeremiah 10:12-13 (NIV)

How I wish I were as obedient to God's hand as the heavens, the winds and the rain! Creation responds without question to His will. The sun and the moon rise and set at His word. The heavenly bodies remain fixed where He placed them. And the sea acknowledges the boundary He established for it. We often refuse to see through our blindness that even the cold snowy Winters and the blustery Springs have a purpose in His divine providence. Each snow flake and rain drop has a destination that is planned and intended for our benefit, and each one obediently falls where He places them.

Yet mankind, the smallest, the most vulnerable, and the weakest of all God's creation and who refuse to submit to Him, complains when He pours out upon us His seasonal blessings. We look upon them as an insult and selfishly carp that they disrupt our lives. We long for the next season, then find ourselves grumbling that it is not up to our standards. Spring is too cold and wet. Summer is too hot and dry. Fall did not linger long enough. Winter is too harsh. How our God must tire of our endless complaints!

So, for at least today, I will thank God for bringing more wind - it will hasten the melting snow. I will thank Him for bringing more rain - it will balance out the lack of winter snow and renew our fresh water reserves. I will thank Him for filling the heavens with the clouds as they move across this beautiful mountain valley. And I will look forward to whatever He brings me this summer and delight in His continued faithfulness in knowing what is best for us.

God will bring the sun and warmth in His timing. On that, I can count.