From the Desk of Cheryl Hauer
Rain…again???
In my little corner of the world, it has been raining for days. As evening draws near, it has rained literally all day today and the forecasters, those bearers of bad news, are predicting another week or more of the same. Flood warnings abound and farmers are facing a bleak future as their newly planted fields are turned into mud flats. And as we are confronted with yet another day without sunshine, the reality of seasonal affective disorder becomes apparent. Minnesota folks are usually quite resilient, but some are getting pretty edgy, even depressed.
“It’s a hopeless situation,” some are saying, even some of my friends in the church. Difficult, yes, but you can only say “hopeless” if you don’t understand the biblical meaning of the word hope. In our vernacular, hope is defined as a feeling or a strong desire for something. Conversations this week are peppered with statements like, “I sure hope it stops raining soon!” and, “I hope my entire crop isn’t ruined.” These are expressions of strong desire that are not undergirded by any assurance that the rain will stop. That isn’t hope, it’s wishful thinking.
Biblical hope is not wishful thinking. It is not a maybe thing, it is a sure thing. It is an expression of absolute certainty, 100% trust in the one to whom the hope is directed. So we shouldn’t put our hope in the possibility that the rain might stop. We should hope in the One who controls the weather, the One who loves His children passionately and has promised to be with us regardless of our circumstances. The rain may not stop, the crops may be lean this year, but the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. We can 100% trust the One who has promised the floods will not overwhelm us, the fires will not burn us and like the birds of the air and lilies of the field, He will take care of us. Come rain or shine.
Blessings and Shalom,
Issachar Community
Comments