Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of honor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.
— Psalm 111:1-6
Last night, while I was working on the computer, I heard the TV switch off in the other room. I popped my head into the family room and asked “Are you heading off to sleep?”
Kathy looked up from grading papers and said, “No, I just wanted to listen to the rain.” And so, for bit, we opened windows and just listened.
There is something both soothing and energizing about the sound of rain. It may be because it is not all that common around here, so it is different and therefore interesting. I think there is something more, though. For me, the rain is a reminder of the presence of God in our existence. The rain which falls waters the earth; it cleanses and provides for life. Indeed, rain is a sign of God’s providence and blessing.
We can’t control the rain. Meteorologists can share with us predictions, and can give us percentage chances of rain based on past history and observations. With this we can prepare. And this is always the case with God’s blessings: we can’t make them happen, but we can prepare ourselves to best receive the work of God in our lives.
We stand in awe of your power, O God. Calm our busy-ness as we quiet the noise of our lives. Help us to know that you are God, and that you offer us blessings like the rain which falls from the heavens. Allow us to hear your call upon our lives, and then lead us in your ways. Thus, O God, may we, too, be your blessing for your world. We pray this through your Son. Amen.
George
We will continue with this stream of thought in worship on Sunday. Here are the questions for the message:
1. What does it mean to you to “fear” God?
2. What is your response to authority?
3. What word are you called to speak this day?