The Giver of All Good Things

by Diana Durrill 

"Do you not fear me?  declares the LORD.
Do you not tremble before me?
I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea,
A perpetual barrier that it cannot pass;
Though the waves toss, they cannot prevail;
Though they roar, they cannot pass over it.
But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart;
They have turned aside and gone away.
They do not say in their hearts,
'Let us fear the LORD our God,
Who gives rain in its season,
The autumn rain and the spring rain,
And keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.'
Your iniquities have turned these away,
And your sins have kept good from you." - Jeremiah 5:22-25

The waves on the seashore; the sand which holds the ocean back; rain that pours on dry, thirsty land; the fruit that ripens perfectly in its season  - all things we take for granted until they aren't there any longer.

I remember watching the sea come crashing inland in Japan last year.  Vehicles, buildings, power lines...all crowding into places they don't belong.  Utter destruction devastated the people and places of Japan.

This summer,  Colorado has experienced first hand the struggle that comes when the water supply is insufficient.  Lightening without rain has caused millions of dollars in damage to our beautiful state and heartache for our neighbors.

In this passage we see that God's acts in nature are reminders of His presence and grace in our lives.  In verse 25, He reminds Israel that He can and will take these unappreciated gifts away when they rebelliously and stubbornly turn away from Him.  Perhaps as a reminder of their need for Him?  Their need for His goodness and grace in their lives?  Their need for dependence on Him for all of life's gifts?

Let's remember to thank the Lord for all He has bestowed on us.  Our families, our homes, our church, our food, our friendships, our health, and yes...even the weather.  In this dry, hot summer take time to remember the Giver of all good things.

Fear Him, live for Him, and thank Him.