Rev 8:1-5 Prayers Rise Like Incense

Revelation 8:1-5 NIV
Let our prayers rise like incense before thee. For those who do not recognize these words from Vespers, you are really missing out! Attend a Vesper's service.

As I read the lesson this morning I was struck with the thought that immediately following the prayers of God's people going up before God along with the smoke of the incense, the censer was filled with fire from the altar and hurled on earth to cause quite a rumbling. I wonder was the storm and earthquake in John's vision the response to the prayers of God's people that had just come before Him?

We know that God hears our prayers and answers. He is with and for His children whether in heaven or on earth. We give thanks to God for in His mercy, He has heard our prayers and answered.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Job 37 - Seasons - Nothing We Can Do About Them

Elihu lifts up the majesty and power of God.  And, it is indeed amazing!  He is in control of all the forces of nature. 

The seasons change.  They have changed every year since the beginning. Yet, we hear complaints about every season.  Every season brings challenges.  The spring is too muddy, the summer too hot, the fall is too windy, and winter is just too cold or there is either too much snow or not enough for the snow-mobilers and skiers.

Every region of the world has its specific weather challenges.  We were in South Carolina this summer.  It was too hot. We spent most of the time in the air conditioning watching television. It has been wet and colder here in the Upper Peninsula - not freezing yet, but colder the last few weeks. We've even had a few snowflakes.  And... I have already begun to hear the complaint, "It is too cold up here."  Actually, it's not.  It's about right for this time of year. 

I remember vacationing up here while we were living in various other regions of the earth.  It always amazed me that the conversations always focused on the weather.  Not enough rain!  Too much rain!  Too hot!  Too cold!  Rarely, did I ever hear the weather is just right.  I'm not sure how it happened, but instead of standing in awe of how beautiful the various seasons that God created are, human beings tend to complain them.  There is always something wrong with the weather.  It's like calling an inanimate object stupid when we're angry.  How can the weather be wrong?  It just is.  That's how God created it to be.  God is in charge of it. 

Personally, I kind of like the fact that there is something in this world that we haven't figured out how to manipulate, and that is the weather and the seasons.  I love storms.  I love to sit and watch the lightning and hear the thunder roar.  It reminds me that God is still in charge.

God's Peace - Pr. J

2 Chronicles 7 - Fire Came Down and the Wind Blew

I'm running a bit late this morning...  Fire came down from heaven last night or maybe it was the wind and split my apple tree in two, with half of it laying on the ground.  The power has been out since 1:30 a.m..  Since, I still had stuff left in the church basement to haul to St. Vincent DePaul's from the youth rummage sale, figured I'd come to the church and work for a bit. 

Before I went to bed last night, I said a prayer:  thanking God for my little home that He gave to me out in the middle of the woods and at the mouth of a river.  (You will hear a lot about this place from me - I love it and thank God everyday for it!) Thing about the location is that when it rains real hard the water comes right up to the back door.  That's not necessarily all that bad.  When the power goes out and we have no water, because the pump on the well won't work without electricity, I can step off the back deck and take a bath.  The lightning was flashing so steady last night, I didn't even need a flashlight to get around the house.  Each bang and boom from the thunder was joined with the sound of may other thunderous claps - made for quite a concert.

The rain and lightning don't bother me much.  I suppose if the lightning struck something I was about to cook (as in the reading today) that might bother me and yeah I'd probably fall on my face and start praising God pretty quick, too.  What bothered me a little more than it usually does, were the high winds.  I really do live in the woods.  I have huge cedar, pine, oak trees (to name just a few) surrounding my little yard.  I mean "really big" as in 70 to 80 feet tall. So tall the eagles like to sit in them and watch out over the bay.  Well, if one of these come down and my little home, it and I would be smooshed.  So, before I fell asleep, as I watched them swaying in the wind, I thanked God for the home that He has blessed me with and asked Him to keep it intact throughout the night. 

When I woke up this morning, the water was up to the back step, but the roof of my house was still on.  No huge trees down.  The only thing on the ground, beside for a few branches, was half of the apple tree which I just asked my husband last week to prune :)

God is good.  He is very, very good.  His steadfast loves endures forever!

P.S. I pray that God has kept your home and you safe throughout these storms we've had of late.