Alfred Wainwright, a British fell-walker, guidebook author and illustrator once remarked: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” Leviticus 26:4 confirms: “Then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.”
Weather is defined as a state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time as regards heat, cloudiness, wind, rain, etc. It can provide ideal and enjoyable conditions, but also misery and devastation. It does not usually provide the option of a second chance.
Many farmers rely on a well-balanced climate to yield good crops. Too much sun is as bad as too little. Likewise, with rain, plants and crops require a modicum of water to survive and encourage growth. However, too much can have damaging results which may totally destroy the crop.
In the pertinent story of the deluge in Genesis 6:11 to 9:19, Noah is represented as the righteous person selected by God to build an ark to save himself and certain others from a great flood intended to destroy both man and creatures dwelling on the earth. God has decided that the world, in its present form, is unworthy of habitation. This has been caused by the actions of Noah’s ungodly compatriots. The predicted forecast of destruction is for it to unceasingly rain for forty days and forty nights. Genesis 6:6-8 confirms: “And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord.”
We have all heard the story of Noah, perhaps many times over when we were children. It was probably one of the easiest stories in the Bible to comprehend apart from perhaps the nativity. It leaves little doubt as to God's displeasure. It is a teaching story that can be seen from various perspectives and angles and therefore makes it one of the more explanatory stories of the Bible. You can view it from the point of obedience - Noah was a very obedient person and did just as God told Him. You can look at it from the point of disobedience because nobody did as God wanted and were corrupt and violent. You can see it from the point of anger, because God decided to destroy the inhabitants apart from an elite few. You can perceive it from the point of regret because God regretted what he did and promised never to destroy the world again by flood.
You can see it from the perspective of sin, because of the prevailing abundance of sin that made God angry in the first place. However, compassion also abounds throughout this story, God's compassion, for God decided to save two creatures of every kind to join Noah in his ark for continued survival. Finally, you can contemplate it from the point of reassurance, because God formed a rainbow to remind us of His promise never to destroy the Earth again by flood. There are many other possibilities and many more different angles to look at, but they would be too numerous to mention in a relatively short sermon. However, the most pertinent aspect of this story is that God's love and compassion give us a second chance in life. The various storms encountered are not always restricted to weather conditions alone, they can become personal challenges as well. They may even be considered as a test. We need to embrace what the many different aspects of life bring and use our second chance to the best effect.
Many people suffer from unwanted disruption and troubles which affect them individually. These may also cause consternation and insecurity. The problems encountered may induce feelings of fear, trauma, uncertainty and the like. Matthew 8:23-27 reminds us: “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marvelled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Everyone encounters turbulence at some stage in life. It is impossible to avoid. But it may be calmed by the presence of God. The way we handle things depends upon our ability and determination to sink or swim. Rick Delmonico, the author of “The Philosophy Of Fractals” once remarked: “What is a storm? Is it a test, a challenge, an obstacle? You never really understand a storm until you are in one, but the other side of the storm, that is another thing altogether. The storm is going to cost you something, there is no getting around it. Whether it gives something back is entirely up to you.”
So, do we stand and fight against storms in an attempt to swim against the turbulent waters of life? Or do we humbly submit and sink to the depths of the ocean? The story of Jonah defines an initial request from God to go to Nineveh and inform the people that God is displeased and that they can expect imminent retribution for their ways. Jonah declines to obey the Lord and instead flees God's command by travelling to the port of Joppa. There he boards a boat, crewed by Phoenicians. However, once the boat has departed the shores, it encounters a violent storm and the crew are in fear of their lives.
They assume that one of them has angered a god and try to establish who is to blame. But Jonah admits that it is his fault and they should throw him overboard to save themselves. This they reluctantly agree to do. The storm immediately calms, but Jonah is swallowed by a large fish and remains in its stomach for three days. Whereupon he prays to God for forgiveness so that he can carry out God’s commandment. The fish immediately vomits Jonah onto dry land so that he can fulfil his promise to God.
Having eventually informed the people of the imminent judgment from God, they immediately repent and are forgiven. The hidden moral to this story could be said to divulge that God’s love, grace and compassion, extends to everyone, even outsiders and oppressors. However, if we try to run away from the wishes of God, He is still willing to give us a second chance in life. God loves us all, even if we don’t always conform to His wishes on the first attempt. 2 Peter 3:9 confirms: “The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
Amen.
