A Loud Sermon
Today, my message was different. It had happened to me before, but it had been a while since it was this drastic. About the time I started to deliver my message the people started looking out of the windows at the dark clouds, and soon it began to rain hard. It continued raining during the entire message and even afterward. It was a welcome rain, since we have been in a drought, but it was very noisy on the metal roof of our multi-purpose building. It was a lesson in communication. In order to get a message across, we have to gain the attention of the hearers and overcome the distractions. That is what made it so different today. The people had every reason not to hear what I was saying.
Isn't it amazing that it happened during a very important message for our church family? Why did it come such a rain at that time and for that length of time? Yes, it could have been just a meteorological event that was at that time just by chance. However, since I believe in spiritual warfare, I have to believe that there were spiritual forces behind the timing of the storm today. Perhaps, it was God who caused it, so that only the committed would concentrate enough to follow His Word being preached. However, I think it is more likely that God allowed Satan to cause it, and it was Satan's purpose to destroy the message of the Word of God. It was his attempt to steal the attention of those who needed to hear.
The great thing is that God's Word is sharp and powerful. When it goes forth it will not come back void. Therefore, I can know that Satan's attempt failed, and that God blessed His Word. All it turned out to be was a loud sermon, but the meaning and effectiveness were not drowned out by the storm. That is always true of God's Word, and that is why we need to share it, and we need to prepare our hearts to receive it, no matter what is going on around us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 10-12 and Acts 19:1-20.
Isn't it amazing that it happened during a very important message for our church family? Why did it come such a rain at that time and for that length of time? Yes, it could have been just a meteorological event that was at that time just by chance. However, since I believe in spiritual warfare, I have to believe that there were spiritual forces behind the timing of the storm today. Perhaps, it was God who caused it, so that only the committed would concentrate enough to follow His Word being preached. However, I think it is more likely that God allowed Satan to cause it, and it was Satan's purpose to destroy the message of the Word of God. It was his attempt to steal the attention of those who needed to hear.
The great thing is that God's Word is sharp and powerful. When it goes forth it will not come back void. Therefore, I can know that Satan's attempt failed, and that God blessed His Word. All it turned out to be was a loud sermon, but the meaning and effectiveness were not drowned out by the storm. That is always true of God's Word, and that is why we need to share it, and we need to prepare our hearts to receive it, no matter what is going on around us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 10-12 and Acts 19:1-20.