Today’s Scripture Reading (April 21,
2015): Job 5
California’s
drought continues (Cue Albert Hammond and “It Never Rains in California.”) It
is thought that this might be the worst drought that the state has ever
experienced. That conclusion is not just based on the length of time that the
state has suffered under drought conditions, but also the higher temperatures
that California is experiencing and the minimal snow melt that is available in
the mountains. And according to experts, there is no end in sight. Yet,
California still seems to be having difficulty convincing some of its districts
that water rationing is in order.
Add to this
problem the fact that water usage in North America is among the highest in the
world, and water usage in California has traditionally been among the highest
in the United States, all of which compounds the drought situation in the
state. So when recent studies revealed that some areas were doing better at
conserving water than other areas, and California tensions are on the rise.
Some of the most recent stats reveal that in general California is being
slightly more careful with its water, but it also reveals that Northern
California is doing better at its water conservation efforts than is Southern
California.
All of this
leads us to a question. Eliphaz states clearly that God provides the rain. And
while we might have problems with some of the things Eliphaz says, with this we
can actually agree. We believe in a providential God who gives to us the things
that we need. He is present in every breath that we breathe and in every drop
of water that we need for the growth of the earth. So what happens in a time of
drought? Has God forgotten us? Or maybe a better question is this – has God
failed us or have we failed God?
We know that
there is a natural rhythm to life – and to water – in this world. There are
some places in the world that naturally receive very little water, while other
places receive all the water that is needed to support lush plant growth.
Eliphaz would have lived in the Fertile Crescent, a place where there is an abundance
of water that surrounds the Syro-Arabian Desert. The Syro-Arabian desert is a
place where there is precious little water. So evidently Eliphaz understood
that God sent the rain into the Fertile Crescent and not into the desert. Yet we
also know that life finds a way to survive - even in the desert.
California
is a place where traditionally little rain has fallen. Yet life has found a way
to live, and the desert has been turned into an oasis. But the current
situation would seem to be more man created than God ordained. Climate change
has increased the temperature and decreased the water reserves. This is a
problem that we have created; we can’t blame it on God. The pinnacle of God’s
creation, and the ones that God has placed in charge of guarding creation, have
failed him. And maybe it is time that we admitted that and started to sincerely
work toward a solution to the damage that we have done. And while we are
working to correct the damage, maybe we could be praying that our providential
God can make the Albert Hammond’s lyrics a reality in California –
It
never rains in California,
But
girl, don’t they warn ya?
It pours, man, it pours.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Job 6
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