A monthly column by farmer, preacher and writer for Jesus, Angus Buchan
If we look at the Gospel of Mark 4:35-41 we will see that the Lord Jesus is the One who controls the weather patterns in the world. In fact, so much so, that when He was sound asleep in the bottom of the boat and there was a great windstorm that arose on the Sea of Galilee the disciples woke Jesus up and said Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? They were obviously taking in a large amount of water and the boat was about to sink. Then Jesus arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still! The wind ceased and there was a great calm.
The disciples feared exceedingly, and said to one another, Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!
I can really give testimony to that not once, but many occasions, where we have been in a desperate situation and have called out to the Name our Lord Jesus, and the Weatherman has come to our rescue.
I remember very distinctly a meeting that I had many years ago in a place called Post-Retief farming community. They were in the middle of a severe drought and their sheep and cattle were starting to perish. I preached there for a week and at every single farmers meeting that I addressed I would say, “We are praying and the Lord will send the rain.”
I remember preaching the last Saturday night in a little place called Post-Retief and I was flying back home the next morning. I sat at the back of an old farmhouse, which I think was used as an agricultural hall and I was sitting right where they milked the cows, all by myself. I looked out as far as I could see, and I couldn’t see any clouds, not even one the size of a man’s fist. I was homesick, tired, and I knew the farmers are not happy with me, because I told them it was going to rain before we left. I heard the motorcars coming in for the last meeting and obviously because of the desperation there was a huge turnout that night. That shed was full and I had to go and deliver my last message.
Well, I can honestly tell you as I walked in, and very understandably so, because I am also a farmer — I wasn’t met with a very good reception. It was a case of, “where is the rain?” They didn’t say it in so many words, but I could sense that. I opened in prayer after singing a couple of hymns, I started to speak, we heard “pitter patter” on the tin roof. With that the Heavens opened up and that night we had, if I remember correctly, 35mm of rain in that immediate area.
I didn’t have to ask people to come to the front for the altar call because they ran to the front — all of them, including myself, on our knees giving thanks to God, as the lifesaving rain fell in the district and I could go home the next day to my beloved family and our farm, “Shalom”, knowing that God had met with His people yet again.
I want to encourage you to finish strong, not to give up and not to throw the towel in, as they say in boxing circles, because then the fight is over. I want to encourage you to continue to call out to the Lord Jesus Christ, just as the disciples did and He controlled the weather.
My dear friend, there is no one else that can control the weather. The devil is so hopeless and useless, that he cannot even cause a storm in a teacup.
“Jesus is the Rainmaker.” He is the Weatherman and He is the only one who can change our circumstances. I would encourage you to continue to live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). He says in Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV), Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
May God bless you, as you continue to walk the faith walk, it’s the only place and thing to do, in these last days which is constructive.
Yours in Christ service
Angus and Jill