Well, it’s raining now

Having just experienced one of the rainiest months of June in Michigan history, we’re all well aware that the weather can be fickle. As Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Mt. 5:45) For those living through floods or droughts, dealing with the devastation of a tornado or hurricane, or sifting through the rubble from a fire or earthquake; these words may seem hollow. We’d rather have the comfort of knowing that there was someone to blame for our misfortune. However, there is a purpose to knowing that God isn’t sending good or adverse weather our way in most cases. The tendency to blame someone (usually not ourselves) for weather disasters or gloat over beautiful weather is universal with man. It may be common, but it’s wrong. God sends blessings on both the just and the unjust, and God sends adversity to the righteous and the unrighteous.
The example of Elijah keeping it from raining in Israel for three years is an exception precisely because God specifically let his people know WHY they were being punished. When the people repented, the rain came. Unfortunately, in our day, some seek to make similar connections, blaming our godless ways for a whole host of natural disasters. {Have these men or women spoken to God personally? How do they know any of this?} Do we really need the weather to lead our people to repentance? Are we not capable of seeing the goodness of God in the blessings that he sends on ALL the Earth? The next time you hear someone spouting off about the “cause” of this or that natural disaster, remember that Jesus himself told you that God sends his blessings to us all. God is good when it rains, God is good when it pours, and God is good when the rain is nowhere to be found.