Change is in the Air!

This summer will be remembered for the sudden and quick storms that have come in this Midwest region (and from what I see on the weather channel, in others parts of the country as well.) The sky has been exceptionaly beautiful, even the clouds, painting majestic swirls in the sky – only to turn suddently into a mass of murky, gray wooly like mixture that brings a down pour of rain, often accomopanied by sharp and piercing thunder!

One of my youngest granddaughters when she hears the thunder, gets frightened, and she says, “raining,” “raining” and looks to find comfort in her mother or her father’s lap. It so reminds me of how thunder affects even older people – some people have been known to turn everything off, sit quietly in the dark and wait, “while God does His work!” However, many younger people don’t regard the thunder, and keep the texting, the internet, the t.v., and other electrical devices going full blast – they need more than to hear the sound of thunder, they need to experience thunder.

Such was the case with the Israelites during the time Samuel served as prophet and the people kept asking God for a king:

16-17 “Pay attention! Watch this wonder that God is going to perform before you now! It’s summer, as you well know, and the rainy season is over. But I’m going to pray to God. He’ll send thunder and rain, a sign to convince you of the great wrong you have done to God by asking for a king.”
18 Samuel prayed to God, and God sent thunder and rain that same day. The people were greatly afraid and in awe of God and of Samuel.
19 Then all the people begged Samuel, “Pray to your God for us, your servants. Pray that we won’t die! On top of all our other sins, we’ve piled on one more—asking for a king!” 1 Samule 12: 17-19 (MSG)

In this passage we see that when Samuel prayed to God and God sent the thunder and rain on that same day, a day when it was summer, not the rainy season, that the people begged Samuel to stop the thunder (and no doubt lightning) that they wouldn’t die. What was more interesting to me about this passage is what they said next, “On top of all our other sins, we’ve piled on one more – asking for a king.” It’s a funny thing when we are finally brought face to face with the repercussions of our sin, that we recognize that it’s not just one sin we’ve committed, it’s coming to grips with all the many sins we’ve committed.

I don’t know about you but the weather has got my attention – thunder and lightning have been speaking loud and hearing of some of the devastation of these storms have made me even more aware that “change is in the air” – and I want to flow with the change and not against it – after all the safest place to be in a storm is in the eye of the storm!

Selah,
Maria