How often do you talk about the weather? This is often one of the first things we comment on when greeting someone or the most common topic at work. Yet, how often do we think of the one who sends that weather to us? Of the one who forms those clouds, moving them where He wills, commanding them to provide rain or snow, a shadow of darkness, or to vanish and let the light shine down on us. God reminds us of His unmeasurable greatness and power in the weather through the words of Elihu to Job in Job 36 and 37.
Have you ever been cloud gazing and watched as a cloud goes from resembling an elephant, to the form of a dragon, which then dissipated into nothing? Have you observed the dark clouds of a storm coming in and felt the heaviness of it press around you as it grows in its looming properties? You see the brilliant lightning flash between the earth and sky and wait for the rumbling sound of the thunder to fill the space around you. Job 36:29 “Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of his tabernacle?” Job 36:33 “The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.” The deep, rolling thunder strikes a certain fear with its great noise. Elihu expresses what many of us feel when a storm comes over our homes: “at this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place” (Job 37:1).
Elihu reaches further into the topic of thunder and lightning telling Job, “Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth. He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth. After it a voice roareth: he thundreth with the voice of his excellency: and he will not stay them when his voice is heard. God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend” (Job 37:2-5). The hand of God in a storm, commanding the lightning to shine and the thunder to sound, all the while controlling each drop of rain to fall exactly where he wills it, is so much for us to comprehend all at once. We can only stand in amazement at the power of God expressed in a storm. “Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud: And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth” (Job 37:11-12).
God causes the water to evaporate and rise up from the earth and form fluffy, white clouds in the sky. He combines these vapors to form rain drops which then fall down upon the earth again, splashing into the cement, off umbrellas, and onto our windshields. “For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof; Which the clouds do drop and distill upon man abundantly” (Job 37:27-28). God waters the plants so they grow and bear fruit which we can gather and eat. He replenishes the rivers, making them full and giving of life. “For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance” (Job 37:31).
Those who experience a winter season, we must remember in all our complaints about the weather, God gave us this weather with purpose. It is part of His will to give us a winter. Look at the snow and the beautiful designs of the frost and see God’s beauty and handiwork. It is God who designed each snowflake and formed the pattern of that frost which runs across the window and covers the ground. “For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength. He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work….Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north. By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened” (Job 37:6-7, 9-10). When there is a big storm we close our schools. If road conditions are exceptionally bad, our work places may close. We are forced to pause from our busy routines of life and take a look around us. We hear God saying to us “…stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God” (Job 37:14).
Kate Doezema
Young Calvinists 