Hail
By Peggy Kleckner
“I struck all the
work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,
declares the LORD.”
We
recently experienced hail in our area. To many, it was an inconvenience, an
oddity. It lasted only a short period of time. Maybe it kept them indoors;
maybe they had to run for cover while they were at the State Fair; maybe they
watched from a front room window. Did it bring to anyone’s heart the thought of
God? His sovereignty?
What
about those with gardens? Did they see the work of their hands demolished in a
few short minutes? The work of their hands - - breaking up the soil, planting,
weeding, watering, pruning etc. - - all perhaps brought to ruin in a few short
minutes. Were they just beginning to harvest the fruit of their labor? Did it
seem unfair or even cruel? Were they angry, seeing God as unjust?
Let’s
broaden our view. What about the droughts, the mudslides, the hurricanes? Are
these also not under the sovereign hand of God? Are not all of these things
troubling our world today, impacting all of us?
Who
then is seeking God? The verse above says that God Himself struck their work
and then it says sadly, “yet you did not turn to me.” God is not cruel; He is
compassionate. If the fruit of our own work brings contentment without God, it
isn’t true contentment. We have been seduced by a lie, blinded by the enemy.
Our days will end without Him and we will have lost the greater for a meager
handful.
It
is His compassion that demolishes the work of our hands in order to help us
seek the greater, a relationship with Him. A relationship built on truth, not
lies.
We
are implored to “seek ye first the kingdom
of God and all these
things will be added unto you.” Seek Him first. Acknowledge that He is God,
acknowledge our need for the saving grace of His Son, Jesus. Without Jesus,
there can be no restored relationship with God. All have sinned and fallen
short of the glory of God. None of us is God. We all need Jesus. It is the
recognition of our neediness that draws us back to God.
Is
it God’s intent to demolish? No, it is His intent to bless. Haggai
2:19 (NIV) says this: “Is there any seed left in the barn? Until
now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not
borne fruit. From this day on, I will bless you.”
Come,
let us return to the LORD.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Where in your life are you experiencing
famine, drought or hail?
2. Instead of
trying harder are you willing to seek God?
FURTHER READING:
Peggy is a wife and
mother of four adult children - - two sons and two stepsons, and is an active
encourager at Oakwood
Church in Delafield.
