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Did God Send the Rain?
By: Chris Culver

My son is starting to freak me out with the questions he asks. Yesterday, as we drove past a house that had flooded from the rain I said, “Oh good, their yard has finally drained.” Gibson asked, “Daddy, did God send the rain to cause the flood?” My initial reaction was to lie. Yep, that was my gut reaction. Lying would be expedient, easier. Plus, I wasn’t 100% sure I had the words to tell him what I believe. I hadn’t even thought about the theology of the storm until he asked me. Which is sad since I preached out of John 11 this past Sunday.   In John 11 Jesus hears that his friend Lazarus is very sick. “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” (John 11:5-6 ESV) He loved them SO he delayed going to see them!!?? In the mean time Lazarus dies! How is his delay an act of love? Well, in the case of Lazarus we find out. Jesus shows up and raises him from the dead! The faith of Mary, Martha, probably Lazarus, and Jesus’ disciples is strengthened and many others believed in Jesus because of his miraculous work. Jesus is concerned about more than our physical health. He is concerned about our spiritual health as well. We see the love at the end of the Lazarus story. Yep, turns out Jesus knew what he was doing.   This storm inflicted damage and pain. People we know and love are hurting because of this storm. Some storms result in the loss of life. So I’m tempted to tell my son that storms just happen because I don’t want him to think God lets people get hurt. But God does let people, even people he loves like Lazarus, get hurt. God does control the weather. He does send storms. I don’t know why he did it and I most likely never will. I don’t know how this is an act of love, but the Bible is filled with story after story of God taking terrible things and making good happen out of them. So…yes my son, God sent the flood. I don’t know why. We may never know. But I know he loves us so much! And I know he does what is best for us. And I know sometimes we can’t understand and see how he is working out good, but he is. What Jesus did for Lazarus, he has done for us.