Well, it is raining here today in San Antonio, Texas and I feel the need to write about fair weather…you know the phrase “The weather today will be fair and partly cloudy.” That’s the way we like it right? Fair, no rain, not too hot, not too cold, a few clouds, but mostly we like it just right. In my life today, my God became my fair weather friend and I realized that I did not like it, although I do it all the time. I don’t understand why the Creator of this universe, my Creator, my Father, my Dad, can lose my trust, my unconditional love, my hope just because the weather starts to turn. Oh, I don’t mean that the rain caused me to doubt my “heavenly dad”, I mean the weather of my life, the rain of disappointment, the flurries of doubt, the rays of rejection, the pounding hailstones of unmet expectations; all of these work together to remove the trust that I have in my God and cause me to turn and run from Him, angry, hurt, and pouting because He has not met my expectations today.
“Lord! Why does she keep treating me this way?” or “God, Why do you let him talk to me that way?” Sound familiar? When the check does not come in or the air conditioner stops working, or the vacation doesn’t go as planned, I quickly look around me, see the clouds rolling in and then unfortunately, quickly turn my back on my Savior. That is probably the main reason that for so many years I trusted in “me” to help the weather not seem so bad… bad day at the office? porn was my quick fix; she doesn’t meet my needs the way she should? anonymous sex filled the bill. Bad weather in the forecast? Then I would find a way not to care, not to know, not to be aware through a repertoire of sins that I could choose from. All of them leading me away from the very source of my hope, my strength, my life and directing me to more pain, more shame, and yes… more bad weather.Why do we turn on God when times get tough?
Because He is supposed to be in control here right? He is the one that is supposed to change bad into good, darkness into light, despair into hope. The money’s not there, then it’s His fault; the husband won’t change, then its His doing; the car breaks down, then He is God almighty right? God is not a fair weather God because He is not only available when the sun is shining, He is always available. It is me that turns my back on Him when things don’t go my way. Like a kid in a candy store that stomps his feet and screams when he does not get the lollipop he wants, I go through life shaking my fist at God angry that He did not give me my own way. However, when I remember those times that He did give me my way and it turned out horribly, then I remember what it was truly like to get what I wanted.
Is God the God of your life no matter what? When good comes, is He God? When bad comes, is He God? When hope is gone, is He God? When life is not what you want, is He God? Life may change, the weather may change, you may change, but God does not change. He is unshakable, unchangeable, unmovable. I like that in a Dad… I like that in a God. Little gods of this world change; moods change, ideas change, trends change, but God does not change, His hope does not change, and His promises don’t change even when the sky is too cloudy for us to see them. How would it feel if your best friend stopped being your friend every time he thought you had let him down? How would it feel if your child went to live with the neighbors every time you didn’t fix pizza instead of chicken for dinner? It feels the same way to God…very conditional. My love for my Father in Heaven can be very conditional based upon how others are treating me. That grieves His heart and it should grieve mine because He never turns His back on me even when I mess up, take a wrong turn, or turn my back on him. His love is consistent, like the rays of sun behind the clouds. Does the sun stop shining just because there are rain clouds in the sky or snow flakes falling on the ground? No, and neither does God’s love stop just because the weather changes. So why should my love change. For a God that has brought me so far, He is a God that can continue bringing me, no matter the forecast, no matter the conditions. Lord may you help me live in that today and everyday whether rain or shine!
Because He is supposed to be in control here right? He is the one that is supposed to change bad into good, darkness into light, despair into hope. The money’s not there, then it’s His fault; the husband won’t change, then its His doing; the car breaks down, then He is God almighty right? God is not a fair weather God because He is not only available when the sun is shining, He is always available. It is me that turns my back on Him when things don’t go my way. Like a kid in a candy store that stomps his feet and screams when he does not get the lollipop he wants, I go through life shaking my fist at God angry that He did not give me my own way. However, when I remember those times that He did give me my way and it turned out horribly, then I remember what it was truly like to get what I wanted.
Is God the God of your life no matter what? When good comes, is He God? When bad comes, is He God? When hope is gone, is He God? When life is not what you want, is He God? Life may change, the weather may change, you may change, but God does not change. He is unshakable, unchangeable, unmovable. I like that in a Dad… I like that in a God. Little gods of this world change; moods change, ideas change, trends change, but God does not change, His hope does not change, and His promises don’t change even when the sky is too cloudy for us to see them. How would it feel if your best friend stopped being your friend every time he thought you had let him down? How would it feel if your child went to live with the neighbors every time you didn’t fix pizza instead of chicken for dinner? It feels the same way to God…very conditional. My love for my Father in Heaven can be very conditional based upon how others are treating me. That grieves His heart and it should grieve mine because He never turns His back on me even when I mess up, take a wrong turn, or turn my back on him. His love is consistent, like the rays of sun behind the clouds. Does the sun stop shining just because there are rain clouds in the sky or snow flakes falling on the ground? No, and neither does God’s love stop just because the weather changes. So why should my love change. For a God that has brought me so far, He is a God that can continue bringing me, no matter the forecast, no matter the conditions. Lord may you help me live in that today and everyday whether rain or shine!