Droughts and Storms, Seek Him

Our family has daily prayed together for rain.  The ground is  just dust and the outdoor animals are thirst.  This week, I saw a songbird desperately attempting to drink water from the cat’s bowl.  I moved a bowl of water up high, out of the reach of the cats, a safer watering bowl for the birds. You see, in my entire life, Georgia has never seen such a drought.  Last night a wildfire was put out less than 2 miles from our home.  We have had numerous fires near our state, due to the lack of rain, leaving a constant haze of smoke overhead.

The smoke visible from space

 A carelessly thrown cigarette suddenly is a true hazard. We have had over 43 days of no rain, for it hasn’t rained since October 7^th. Our last day of official rain was October 7th so today makes 43 straight days without measurable rain.   We haven’t seen a drought like this since 1963.

Droughts in North GA:

1. 2016 – 41 days (and counting)
2. 1963 – 33 days ending 11/2
3. 1952 – 30 days ending 11/10
4. 1958 – 27 days ending 11/1
5. 2003 – 27 days ending 11/11
6. 1973 – 26 days ending 10/29
7. 2005 – 26 days ending 9/26
8. 1920 – 25 days ending 10/26   (From http://dahwx.com/)

We are on an outdoor watering ban and many people have had their water wells run dry.  So, we pray. We ask our friends to pray.  We seek His face and His favor.  But, this week, one of my friends told me that during past droughts one Native American tribe danced a rain dance to God, while another Native American tribe asked God to show them how best to get through the dry times. That led me to thinking, “Do I want this drought to pass more than I want the one that can remove the drought?”  Meaning, when God gives us rain which refills our lakes and rivers, will I pray as often? Will I continue to ask Him how best to get through the day? Then, I thought of the disciples.  Right after they watched Jesus take 5 small loaves of bread and two fish and feed 5000,  they forget who HE is, for “immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side,” right into a storm (Matthew 14:22). They just saw a miracle, yet when it became dark, when the storm comes, they just want the storm to stop…  They weren’t focused on  the One that can make the storm stop.  If we really could grasp the love of the ONE that calms the storms and lifts the droughts, we wouldn’t worry and we could have rest in the middle of the hard times.  John 6: 16- 17 reveal to us that Jesus was not with them when the storm came, it was dark, so likely they couldn’t see much without the light from the moon.   ( John 6; ¹⁶ When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, ¹⁷ where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.)  Most likely they didn’t see shore or much of anything else, beyond the waves crashing in on them. 
 All our storms seem worse at night, don't they? Even when we think life is all “day”, with no “night”, we are mistaken, for we must remember that we will not have a full picture of what God is doing and why He is doing it. Therefore, this is our invitation to trust Him, to seek Him, to honor Him in our actions, despite what storms or droughts we are in.        Seek Him, pray for your needs, but don’t neglect just seeking Him alone.

 

Matthew 14 ²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. ²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” ³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Here is the same story in John ⁶ John 6:9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” ¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. ¹² When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. ¹⁴ After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” ¹⁵ Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. ^{: :16} When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, ¹⁷ where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. ¹⁸ A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. ¹⁹ When they had rowed about three or four miles,^[a] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. ²⁰ But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” ²¹ Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.