“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.” – Jeremiah 10:13

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. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that even in the worst type of weather, He can be glorified.

“There is no sort of weather, but what furnishes us with a proof and instance of wisdom and power of the great Creator.” – Matthew Henry

God’s Word: “The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ He asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, ‘Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.'” – Luke 8:24-25

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2003, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS pkennedy@devotional.com