#weather – I and Thou Reflections

I Feel The Earth Move Under My Feet – Lessons Learned from The Story of Deborah

Earth Shook. Heavens Poured.

When you, Lord, went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel.
Judges 5:4-5

Deborah, a prophetess, and a judge led Israel to victory over their enemies. She lived in a time when Israel felt oppressed by the Canaanites, who had 900 iron chariots and a cruel king named Jabin. The Israelites cried out to the Lord for help, and he answered them through Deborah.

10,000 Men.

Deborah summoned Barak, a military leader, and told him to gather 10,000 men from two tribes of Israel. Then, instructed them to go to Mount Tabor. There, the Lord would deliver Jabin’s army into their hands. Barak agreed, but only on one condition: Deborah had to go with him. Deborah accepted but warned him that the honor of defeating Jabin’s general, Sisera, would go to a woman.

Milk. Tent Peg.

The Lord panicked Sisera and his chariots, and they fled before Barak’s army. Sisera abandoned his chariot and ran on foot to the tent of Jael, a woman who was friendly with Jabin. Jael welcomed him into her tent, gave him milk, and covered him with a blanket. Sisera, exhausted from the heat and the fight, fell asleep. Then Jael took a tent peg and a hammer and drove the peg through his temple, killing him.

Deborah’s prophecy was fulfilled: a woman had killed Sisera. Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise to the Lord for giving them victory over their enemies. The land had peace for 40 years.

Lessons Learned

As the Dog Days of Summer officially end, let us learn lessons from Deborah’s story and how it applies to our lives.

1. Don’t Be Afraid to Take Action.
#2. Be the First to Do Something Different.
[But, please don’t drive a peg through someone’s head.]
#3. Practice Teamwork.

Female. Leader. Brave.

Deborah was a fearless leader, the only female judge in Israel. She proved that God could use anyone to carry out a mission. Her keen business skills demanded her to act collaboratively. Jael, a Kenite woman, and Barak, a military leader, have different skill sets. Deborah acted swiftly. She took the initiative. Fear did not stop her.

The next time we hear about an earthquake, remember the Story of Deborah.

Be faithful.
Trust in God.
Praise God for Blessings.

Take a Deep Breath.

Let’s breathe in strategy and action and exhale fear and delay.

If you liked this post, please like, follow, and comment.

Rain, Rain, Go Away – Lessons Learned from The Story of Noah

Rain. Wind. Rainbow.

The story of Noah and the flood is one of the first stories in the Bible that involves weather. Noah, a righteous man, walked with God in a wicked generation. The corruption and violence of humanity led to the great flood.

Noah obeyed God’s command to build a giant boat even though it seemed absurd and impossible. He painstakingly followed God’s specifications and gathered his family and two of every animal into it. It was blind faith – for sure!

Image Credit: publicdomainpictures dot net

Then God sent the rain – forty days and forty nights.

Life changed.

Lives lost.

Except those in the ark.

The ark floated on the water for 150 days until a wind blew over the earth. The water receded gradually, and the ark came to rest on Mount Ararat.

A raven and a dove.

Noah waited for God’s signal to leave the ark. After a few times, the dove returned with an olive leaf. Seven more days. Then, God instructed Noah it was safe to enter the new land.

A rainbow.

A promise was made that a flood would never destroy the earth again. It was God’s covenant with humankind. A rainbow serves as a reminder of this covenant.

Lessons Learned

As we endure the Dog Days of Summer, let us learn the following lessons from Noah’s story and apply it to our own lives.

#1. Practice Faith and Obedience in Adversity
#2. Practice Patience and Perseverance
#3. Keep Promises

As we meditate on these lessons, let us breathe in the coolness of God’s

compassion

and

faithfulness.

Let us exhale judgment and resentment.

Let’s look forward to the ultimate promise of a new heaven and earth – together.

Because TOGETHER is better.

Please like, follow, and comment.
(This is my “call to action” I’m supposed to include in every post and often forget.)

Dog Days of Summer – Lessons Learned from the Weather – Whether You Like it or Not

The Dog Days of Summer are here, and they are hot. “Dog days” comes from the ancient Dog Star. It was believed that Sirius, the Dog Star was responsible for July and August weather. The Romans called this period “dies caniculares” or “days of the dog.”

As Summer comes to a close, over the next few weeks, we will explore what the Bible has to say about weather. We will look at how God used natural elements to communicate. When you think of it, many Bible stories involve weather.

“I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
Genesis 9:11

Heat

Wind

Dryness

Rainbows

Rain

We will look at these in the context of the stories we all know. Here are some of them:

God used a flood to judge humanity’s wickedness and save Noah and his family. He also used a rainbow to show his covenant with Noah and all living creatures.

In the Passover Story, God used hail, thunder, lightning, and fire to plague the Egyptians. To persuade Pharaoh to let his people go. He also used a strong east wind to part the Red Sea and to drown Pharaoh’s army.

God used a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night to guide the Israelites in the wilderness.

God used a drought to punish the idolatrous Israelites and to prove his supremacy over Baal. He also used fire from heaven to consume Elijah’s sacrifice and to demonstrate his power.

God used a whirlwind to take Elijah to heaven in a chariot of fire. He also used a still, small voice to speak to Elisha after a great wind, an earthquake, and a fire.

In the Story of Jonah, God used a storm to convince Jonah to stop running away from his mission.

In the Nativity Story, God used a star to announce Jesus’s birth and lead the wise men to him.

In calming the sea story, God used the wind and waves to test his disciples’ faith and reveal his authority over nature. He also used a calm sea to show his peace and power.

God used an earthquake, darkness, and thunder to mark the death of Jesus on the cross and to signify his victory over sin and death.

Next time, we will explore the weather and the Story of Noah.

Meanwhile, let us breathe in the coolness of

love,

grace,

and mercy as we exhale the hot messes of brokenness, impatience, and unkindness.

If you enjoyed this post, please like, share, and comment.
(This is my “call to action” I’m supposed to include in every post and often forget.)