“No, it is You, O Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in You, for You are the one who does all this.” (Jeremiah 14:22b)
While reading Jeremiah recently, I was struck by the above verse where the Lord is talking to Jeremiah about who is responsible for drought, famine, and attacks against the people. He finishes this chapter by saying “Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers?”–then the above words explaining that it all comes down to God.
In Australia, and in other places in the world recently, there have been many natural disasters. Here in Australia we have had floods, cyclones, bushfires; while we have seen the devastation of New Zealand and then Japan as earthquakes and then a tsunami hit. The media who seem to lap up these disasters, have been making statements about “how Mother Nature has unleashed her power.” I got annoyed about that all over again, as I read this verse. Mother Nature has just become something that is now politically correct, used to describe things previously attributed to God.
Enough of that, but what else came to mind when I thought about this verse was that God is responsible for both good and bad things that happen in our lives. I know sin has meant that there is more bad things in the world, but I believe, God also uses both good and bad things to teach us and show us what we need to see.
Lately, I’ve been trying to alter a medication I’ve been on for years and it’s made me sicker than I’ve been in a long time. Life has been pretty awful and I have spent much time wondering how I can make it through this.
I think sometimes we are happy to attribute some things to God, but we want to blame someone else for the bad things that seem so hard to endure. This verse reminded me that I need to accept that even this difficult situation could be for my good, that I need to keep on trusting and hoping in the God – the one who does all this, not just some of it.
Prayer: Thank you Father that you are the one we can trust our lives to. You give us hope that there will be a better tomorrow. Amen.
About the Author:
Fiona Burrows lives in Melbourne, Australia. She is thankful for the difference God makes in her life, and the lessons He teaches her, as she lives with chronic pain. She enjoys finding time for reading, writing, and photography, and to travel when she is able. You can contact her in the Sunroom.
Chronic Illness Pain Daily Devotionals 