Jeremiah 10:13 (NIV)
When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds
rise from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning with the rain
and brings out
the wind from his storehouses.
Aberra Wata worked with Christian youth in the southern
part of Ethiopia during the time of Communist rule from 1974 to1991. Imprisoned
for his faith, Aberra remembers one particular guard: "He would put filthy
words to the tunes we sang. One night he patted his revolver and promised,
'Tomorrow morning at this time you won't be in the land of the living.'
Just after midnight that evening a tremendous storm burst
on the town and the prison. Huge hailstones fell, wrecking several roofs,
including the one where the insulting guard was sleeping. He became terrified, pulled
out his revolver, and shot at random into the darkness, using up all the
bullets he had promised would finish us off the next day. One by one the roofs
were taken off the commandant's house, and the offices of the chief judge, the
administrator, and his deputy. The prisoners in cells three, four, and five got
a soaking from the rain too. We were in cell one and were kept dry. There were
a lot of wet and unhappy people in Yavello that night.
At nine o'clock the next morning, while expecting the
cruel guard to fulfill his promise to shoot us, we observed a remarkable sight.
That same guard was pushed into our cell, without his uniform, by the
commandant, who was whipping him with his belt. Other people in the background
were yelling, 'We told this man to leave the believers alone, but he refused,
and so God has sent this terrible punishment on the town and prison. He
deserves to be given some of his own medicine.'"
The Lord is lord of all and even controls the weather for
His good purpose.
Dear Lord, we thanks You that You are in control of the
weather. We thank You that You can use it for Your good even when it seems to
be so bad. Help us trust in You. Help us glorify You even in the storm. In
Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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