‹ Back

Exodus 9:25 "The hail struck down everything that was in the field throughout all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and the hail struck down every plant of the field, and shattered every tree of the field."

 

This morning a friend sent me a description of and recommendations for Ember Days, of which today is one. What a beautiful tradition (and why is there so much I don't know:)! These days involve thanking God for the fruits of the earth and the laborers who bring them to us. As I was reading, I thought of how God made this world so beautiful and so plentiful with good things that we can sometimes forget that it all comes from Him. We can take for granted that the sun will shine, the rain will fall, the crops will grow, and we will have enough, and often more than enough, because that is the way it has been (with small interruptions that we put down to "bad weather" or the like). It doesn't seem like it's God, "just" nature (as if God was not in complete control of His Creation).

 

In reality, God holds back the chaos of disorder that sin constantly fuels. That chaos is the state of nature we would merit without God's help. It would destroy everything good in short order if given free rein. In His love, however, God does not let us get what we deserve, but rather keeps blessing us each day with His order and bounty.

 

Occasionally, though, when He really wants to get our attention, or when we have strayed so far that there are too few exercising proper dominion over the world in His service, God allows the chaos to creep in. He lets us see what the world would be like without His hand, how helpless and short-lived we would be.

 

The hail that rained down on Egypt could fall on us at any time were God not holding it back. When we praise and thank Him for doing so, we contribute in a small but important way to the continuation of the order that makes our lives and worship possible.