A DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR

WHEN IT’S HOT, GOD HELPS US HANDLE THE HEAT

It’s hot!  Actually, I know you don’t need me to tell you that.  Unless you’ve been at the North or South Pole for the past two months, you know that our town and much of our country has been broiling in a heat wave.  It feels hot, and it is hot.  This is the reality of our weather at this time of year, and on top of that it is intensified by our breaking temperature records day after day.  The heat is something we have to take seriously.  If we’re not careful we can dehydrate very easily.  Often times we hear reports of people suffering and even dying from heat related illnesses. 

Folks who can remember days before air conditioning sometimes wonder how we even got by without it.  Today, most of us have access to air conditioning.  There is a saying that everyone talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.  While we humans may not be able to do anything to control the weather, we have created the ability to control its effect simply by turning a knob or pushing a button.  If it’s too hot, just turn down the thermostat.  Too cold, turn it up.  It’s that simple.  We are fortunate to live in an age that offers us climate controlled conditions.

The downside is that climate control can be a factor that separates us from the reality of the earth.  Back in the days when most people were farmers this was not an issue, but today it is.  Being in air conditioning all day shelters us from the outside world and can make us forget it is hot.  Our bodies become acclimated to an environment created by humans rather than the real world created by God.  Maybe that’s why even in a climate controlled building or house we still get “cabin fever” or feel a need to “go out and get some fresh air.”  I believe God created us humans with a basic need to keep in touch with the organic side of the world. 

Many of the parables and stories Jesus told are related to the earth.  His death was very real and His rising enables us to see how life comes from the seed of salvation that He plants in the earth and shares with us.  While it may be too hot and too dry we don’t have to view it as an inconvenience.  The heat can help keep us grounded in the reality of the seasons which point us to the organic nature of all life.  In the midst of it all, make time for yourself and let God give you the strength to do what you are called to do in this place. Stay cool this week, and let God who has created you and all life help you handle the heat with his abundant grace and blessings.

Yours In Christ,

Pastor Ralph Kraft