He (Jesus) answered them . . . You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. Matthew 16:2a, 3b

Have you ever heard the old saying, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Well, I think maybe it’s time we asked the Lord to do something about the weather. This is why, because of the length of the prayer at the end, this devotion is just a little bit different.

As I’ve been traveling across the country, I’ve been amazed at the “excesses of weather” that seem to be so commonplace. In some places, there are fires following a full-fledged drought, and in other places people are bailing out the floodwaters. Some locations are enduring unseasonably cold temperatures and others are breaking records for high heat.

So far, I haven’t told you anything you probably don’t know. But you might be surprised when I share some facts gleaned from an article in last week’s International Herald Tribune. It said Asia has had its worst monsoon in recent memory. England and Wales had their wettest May and June since 1766. The Arabian Sea had it first documented cyclone, and South Africa was able to measure its first significant snowfall since June of 1981.

So, enough talk about the weather. With lives and livelihood at stake, let’s ask the Lord to do something about it.

THE PRAYER:

All powerful and gracious Lord, when Jesus walked the earth He said, “people know how to interpret the sky and predict the weather.” Over the last 2,000 years, our technology has become more advanced. Even so, all of us remain helpless before the onslaught of the elements. We may be able to better guess what the weather might be for the next few hours, but none of us are able to do anything to change what is to come.

This is why, in humility, we come to You and ask that You send suitable weather upon farms and fields, cities and countryside. While we know it may be impossible for You to please all the people all the time, we ask that You will grant each of us what we need. Bless those who make their living from the bounty of the soil and sea so they may be given grateful hearts for Your gifts. Keep safe from the harshness of all weather those who are frail, frightened, and fragile, and grant to them an appreciation of Your loving hand.

Lastly, dear Lord, help us all to realize that while the weather is constantly changing, Your love, which comes to us through the Savior’s life, suffering, death and resurrection, is timeless. This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ, the Stiller of our storms, Amen.

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 87-88    1 Corinthians 12

To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"