Living in the Spirit

July 12, 2023

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 55:10-13
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
   and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
   giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
   it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
   and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

For you shall go out in joy,
   and be led back in peace;|
the mountains and the hills before you
   shall burst into song,
   and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
   instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
   for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

This felt like an odd scripture to read when streets all over much of the USA are flooded with too much rain propelled by too much wind. Oklahoma’s lands are now oversaturated, and rivers are threatening to overflow their banks. The first rains were a joy. The torrential rains have been deadly. Yet there is a message in that also.

Matthew 5:44-45 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

I fear we may be partially responsible for the weird weather we are experiencing. By burying our heads in the sand, we have not been good earth stewards, hoping that climate change will just disappear. It won’t.

Prayer: Lord, help us find our way to care for your earth as you intended. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.