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64. In His Hands

1st November 2007 by Arthur Eedle

“He’s got the Whole World in His hands”, is a well-known and well-liked traditional spiritual song. There are many slight variations in the words, and in fact anyone can add extra verses appropriate to their situation and audience. The two verses we wanted to convey here are as follows –

He’s got the sun and the rain in His hands,
He’s got the moon and the stars in His hands,
He’s got the wind and the clouds in His hands,
He’s got the whole world in His hands.

He’s got the rivers and the mountains in His hands,
He’s got the oceans and the seas in His hands,
He’s got you and he’s got me in His hands,
He’s got the whole world in His hands.

In this number, we shall be looking at the way in which the Bible tells us about Earth’s weather, and how much of it is in God’s hands and under His control. First of all we should like to record an anecdote from our 1974 diary.

Our 747 touched down at Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong at teatime on September 3rd, 1974. We were weary after a long flight, aggravated by the fact that we had three small daughters with us, and Rosalind four months pregnant with our son John. As we stepped out from the arrival lounge into the night air, it hit us like a wet blanket. The temperature was 30ºC and the humidity about 90% (as I was to learn from a member of staff who met us.) Our new friends transported us to the Hong Kong Hotel, a four star luxury establishment on the Kowloon waterfront. We were there shown into a comfortable suite of rooms on the 8th floor, and were glad to find air conditioning provided throughout the Hotel.

I had been selected to serve as a Government Education Officer at the King George Vth School in Kowloon for a tour of 3 years. But I wondered whether I would last out 3 days under such enervating climatic conditions, but was told I’d soon get used to it!  Our stay in the Hotel, at Government expense, was splendid, and we stayed there until October 29th, when a residence became available. Well, we did gradually acclimatise to the weather, but apart from the winter months, we found the weather difficult throughout our stay in the Colony.

Whilst staying in the hotel we were told that the Colony had not received any rain throughout the summer months. No Typhoons had arrived to replenish the reservoirs. There are no rivers in Hong Kong. All the water has to come from rain. Normally there is plenty from the typhoon season, but 1974 was exceptional for its lack of rain. There were 4½ million people in the Colony, living in an area smaller than the Isle of Wight. The supply of water was most urgent. The typhoon season began in April, and lasted until September. Near the end of September there was no sign of rain, and water rationing was announced. In the hotel we were only allowed water for washing for a few hours each afternoon. After trying to run a bath the water emerged bright red from rust. The water tanks on the roof of the hotel were nearly empty.

This situation was very serious, and it looked as though rationing had come to stay until the next typhoon season, the following year. That was not a very pleasant outlook. Like many other Christians in the Colony, we prayed seriously for the Lord to intervene. The only way was by out-of-season typhoons developing near the Philippines, and head for the Colony. But the Royal Observatory in Hong Kong announced that the chances of this happening were extremely slight.

On 20th September, as I was praying again, the Lord spoke to me in the following way, “Twenty inches of rain is needed to restore a regular supply of water. Wait and see what I shall do.”  That was most encouraging news. On 28th September a typhoon developed beyond the Philippines, named Wanda. However, it veered off and never reached us. A few days later Agnes developed, but this petered out before reaching us. Waiting and watching became a full-time exercise. A third one developed, named Bess, but like Wanda, it veered off.

The fourth one was named Carmen, and it travelled straight for the Colony, reaching us on October 17th, dumping 9 inches of rain during the day. But this typhoon was full of water, and by 20th it had dumped 20 inches. The Lord had answered all prayers in a miraculous way. Furthermore, two other typhoons developed, Della and Elaine, each bringing several inches of rain, so there was water in abundance and to spare for the Colony’s needs. 1974 was therefore a rather strange year for typhoons. The strangest of all occurred when Irma reached us on December 2nd. It was the latest date in the year for any recorded typhoon making landfall on the South China coast.

One reason for including our story is the obvious parallel with a certain part of Elijah’s experience. “Elijah went up to the top of Carmel and bowed himself to the earth, and put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, ‘Go up now, and look towards the sea.’ And went up and looked, and said, ‘I see nothing.’ And he said, ‘Go again,’ seven times. And at the seventh time he said, ‘Behold a little cloud like a man’s hand rising out of the sea.’ And he said, ‘Go up, and say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.” And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.” (1 Kings18:42-47)

We waited and looked at our televisions in Hong Kong to see the weather reports. They showed us the tracks of Wanda, Agnes, and Bess, before the deluge arrived with Carmen. This was followed by Della, Elaine, and finally Irma. Seven typhoons, with the greatest blessing from the fourth.  Only in this respect was our experience somewhat parallel with Elijah’s. Remember that he, as the Lord’s prophet, had ordered the drought in the first place. “Elijah said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.'” (1 Kings 17:1)  James made reference to this, when he said, “The prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves, and he prayed fervently  that it might not rain, and for 3½ years it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit.” (James 5:16-18)

And so we learn that righteous men can influence the weather, once they have learned to walk wholeheartedly in the way of the Lord. In our case in Hong Kong it was the combined prayer of God’s people that the miracle happened, but to this day I treasure the fact that the Lord spoke to me beforehand. In Elijah’s case, he was a singular prophet, called out during the time of Israel’s defection, and was used by God to bring the nation back to Himself. But let us remember another occasion when the weather was miraculously changed – on the Sea of Galilee, when our Lord stood up in the boat and simply said, “Peace, be still!  and the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” (Mark4:39)  There was no waiting around, there was no protracted prayer, just a simple command, and it was done. So great was our Lord’s faith. He said to His disciples, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” And they were filled with awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?'” (4:40-41)

We must now turn our thoughts towards another man, Jonah, the disobedient prophet.  Jonah had been ordered to go to Nineveh, but Jonah didn’t like the idea at all, and went in the opposite direction, a Mediterranean cruise to Tarshish. God was angry. “The Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest, so that the ship threatened to break up. . . . The Captain came to Jonah, asleep in the bowels of the ship, and said, ‘What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise and call upon you God. Perhaps he will give thought to us that we do not perish.’ ” Jonah realised that he was to blame for the tempest, and instead of praying he insisted they should throw him overboard. It was another way of saying to God, “Under no circumstances will I go to Nineveh.” “So they took Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. And the men feared the Lord exceedingly.” (Jonah 1:4-6, 15) The sudden calm was similar to that on the Sea of Galilee, showing the power of God over the elements, both to cause tempests, and to stop them suddenly.

The examples we have adduced show that to some extent man can, through prayer, cause a change in the weather, but God Himself is always in final control. We now need to listen to what the young man Elihu said to Job, after the three friends had completed their accusations. Remember that the Lord didn’t have anything contrary to say about Elihu, as He did about the other three. “God thunders wondrously with His voice; He does great things we cannot comprehend. To the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the showers of rain, ‘Be strong.’ . . . . From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds. By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast. He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter His lightning. They turn round and round by His guidance, to accomplish all that He commands them on the face of the habitable world. Whether for correction, or for His land, or for love, He causes it to happen.”  (Job 37:5-13)

That last verse is most instructive. The motives behind the God-given weather are threefold. First of all, Correctionwas clearly in God’s mind in the days of Elijah and wicked King Ahab, and in the story of Jonah, quoted above. After the days of the Babylonian captivity, when a remnant returned to Jerusalem, the Lord said to Haggai, “I smote you with blight and mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me, says the Lord.” (Haggai 2:17) That did the trick. The men began building the Lord’s house.  But it was also part of Asaph’s prayer after hearing Israel’s enemies vow,“Come let us wipe them out as a nation, let the name of Israel be remembered no more.” (Psalm 83:4)  He prayed, saying, “O my God, make them as a whirling dust, like chaff before the wind. As fire consumes the forest, and as flames set the mountains ablaze, so pursue them with Your tempest, and terrify them with Your hurricane.” (Ps.83:13-15)

Secondly, for His land, is something the Lord promised to His people on entering Canaan. “The land you are entering is not like the land of Egypt where you sowed your seed and watered it with your feet [using shadoofs,] like a garden of vegetables. But the land which you are about to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drink water by the rain from heaven, a land which the Lord your God cares for, where the eyes of the Lord are always upon it from the beginning to the end of the year.”  (Deut.11:10-12)  If the nation was obedient, then “the Lord will open to you His good treasury the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hands.”  (Deut.28:12)

Thirdly, for love, was exemplified by what happened during our stay in Hong Kong, and during the crossing of theSea of Galilee in Jesus’ day.

What are we to learn from all these examples?  That although God is in overall charge of the weather, He also allows man to enter into the meteorological cycle to some extent. Are we prepared to accept that God is in charge of the world’s weather?  Do we look at strange behaviour, unusual weather patterns, and ask ourselves if God is trying to teach us a lesson?  If hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, lengthy drought, searing winds, forest fires, are occurring, are they just a result of chance, or is the Upper Hand at work to teach us a lesson?  In today’s climate of opinion, everything is a result of chance, the outcome of an evolutionary way of thinking. But as in Jonah’s day, when the mariners believed that some god had been responsible for the tempest, so also in our modern world of just 150 yearsago, most people were looking to God for their weather, and praying accordingly. That has all gone by the board now. But it doesn’t mean that we, as individuals, as believers in the Lord Jesus, should follow the trends of the day. Even if the majority laugh at the type of faith that enables man to pray to God for rain, or for protection from floods, should we not turn back to the faith of our fathers, and believe that God is in charge?  “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

Filed Under: The Wellspring

About Arthur Eedle

Arthur was born in 1931, and became a Christian in 1948. At London University he gained a 2nd honours degree in Physics. He went on to get a Teaching Diploma, and throughout his career life taught physics in England, Kenya, and Hong Kong. Coupled with his love of science, he was a keen student of Greek and Hebrew, and gave many lectures on Biblical subjects. Read more

The Wellspring

1. God’s Megaphone

1st September 2001 By Arthur Eedle

2. Suicide

1st October 2001 By Arthur Eedle

3. Petra

12th October 2001 By Arthur Eedle

4. Two different Gods?

20th October 2001 By Arthur Eedle

5. I AM

23rd October 2001 By Arthur Eedle

6. “Not I but Christ”

25th October 2001 By Arthur Eedle

7. How I Love Your Law!

27th October 2001 By Arthur Eedle

8. The Jewish Problem

2nd November 2001 By Arthur Eedle

9. The Evaluation of Coincidence

15th November 2001 By Arthur Eedle

10. Gracious Uncertainty

30th April 2002 By Arthur Eedle

11. Jasper & Sardius

8th May 2002 By Arthur Eedle

12. Antithesis

19th May 2002 By Arthur Eedle

12a. The Essential Role of Free Will in Universal Reconciliation

17th June 2002 By Arthur Eedle

13. The Importance of Earnest

10th August 2002 By Arthur Eedle

14. The Millennium

14th August 2002 By Arthur Eedle

15. Cancer – A Personal Testimony

17th December 2002 By Arthur Eedle

16. C.S.Lewis on the New Year

1st January 2003 By Arthur Eedle

17. Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

5th January 2003 By Arthur Eedle

18. Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

12th January 2003 By Arthur Eedle

19. “The Intolerable Compliment”

12th January 2003 By Arthur Eedle

20. The Power and Practice of the Truth

22nd February 2003 By Arthur Eedle

21. The Power and Practice of the Lie

1st March 2003 By Arthur Eedle

22. The Use and Abuse of Power

8th March 2003 By Arthur Eedle

23. What on earth is happening?

29th July 2003 By Arthur Eedle

23a. A reply to “What on earth is happening?”

4th August 2003 By Arthur Eedle

24. Equality

17th August 2003 By Arthur Eedle

25. Paul to the “Ephesians”

31st August 2003 By Arthur Eedle

26. Mystery

3rd September 2003 By Arthur Eedle

27. Ephesians 1:15-23

10th September 2003 By Arthur Eedle

28. Ephesians 2:1-10

27th September 2003 By Arthur Eedle

29. Ephesians 2:11-22

6th October 2003 By Arthur Eedle

30. Cain and Abel

19th January 2004 By Arthur Eedle

31. Laying the Foundation of the Lord’s House

1st February 2004 By Arthur Eedle

32. Tomorrow’s Bread

22nd February 2004 By Arthur Eedle

33. Grace Parables

27th February 2004 By Arthur Eedle

34. The Responsibility Factor

5th March 2004 By Arthur Eedle

35a. Our Wilderness Journey. Part 1

13th March 2004 By Arthur Eedle

35b. Our Wilderness Journey. Part 2

14th March 2004 By Arthur Eedle

36. Genetic Modification in the Bible

20th March 2004 By Arthur Eedle

37. Arthur’s Testimony

28th March 2004 By Arthur Eedle

38. Identified with Christ

31st March 2004 By Arthur Eedle

39. It Would Have Been Better…

6th April 2004 By Arthur Eedle

40a. Friday’s Man was nailed upon a Cross

9th April 2004 By Arthur Eedle

40b. Sunday’s Man was nowhere to be found

11th April 2004 By Arthur Eedle

41. Jeremiah’s Cryptogram

11th May 2004 By Arthur Eedle

43. The Gospel of Humanism

14th August 2004 By Arthur Eedle

44. Cosmetic Christianity

5th September 2004 By Arthur Eedle

45. EXPERIENCE versus KNOWLEDGE

6th September 2004 By Arthur Eedle

46. “Just a wearyin’ for you”

13th September 2004 By Arthur Eedle

47. Islam by ex-Muslims

24th September 2004 By Arthur Eedle

48. Six Particular Men

9th April 2006 By Arthur Eedle

49. Ten “Everlasting” wonders in Isaiah

13th April 2006 By Arthur Eedle

50a. Missing the Mark. Part 1

18th April 2006 By Arthur Eedle

50b. Missing the Mark. Part 2

21st April 2006 By Arthur Eedle

51. The Mark of the Beast

29th April 2006 By Arthur Eedle

52. Irreducible Complexity

2nd May 2006 By Arthur Eedle

53. No historical Jesus?

4th July 2006 By Arthur Eedle

54. The Power of God’s Spoken Word

17th March 2007 By Arthur Eedle

55. God’s chosen fast

19th April 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56a. Resurrection and the Change – Part 1

1st May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56b. Resurrection and the Change – Part 2

7th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56c. Resurrection and the Change – Part 3

10th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56d. Resurrection and the Change – Part 4

12th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56e. Resurrection and the Change – Part 5

13th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56f. Resurrection and the Change – Part 6

14th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56g. Resurrection and the Change – Part 7

15th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56h. Resurrection and the Change – Part 8

16th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56i. Resurrection and the Change – Part 9

17th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56j. Resurrection and the Change – Part 10

18th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56k. Resurrection and the Change – Part 11

21st May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56l. Resurrection and the Change – Part 12

22nd May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56m. Resurrection and the Change – Part 13

23rd May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56n. Resurrection and the Change – Part 14

24th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56o. Resurrection and the Change – Part 15

25th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56p. Resurrection and the Change – Part 16

27th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57a. Before He Comes – Part 1

31st May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57b. Before He Comes – Part 2

8th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57c. Before He Comes – Part 3

10th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57d. Before He Comes – Part 4

11th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57e. Before He Comes – Part 5

12th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57f. Before He Comes – Part 6

13th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57g. Before He Comes – Part 7

14th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57h. Before He Comes – Part 8

18th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57i. Before He Comes – Part 9

19th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57j. Before He Comes – Part 10

24th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57k. Before He Comes – Part 11

29th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57l. Before He Comes – Part 12

30th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57m. Before He Comes – Part 13

3rd July 2007 By Arthur Eedle

58. Free Will Versus God’s Sovereignty

28th August 2007 By Arthur Eedle

59. Rules of Engagement

10th October 2007 By Arthur Eedle

60. Cameo. Part 1

15th October 2007 By Arthur Eedle

61. Cameo. Part 2

18th October 2007 By Arthur Eedle

62. Cameo. Part 3

26th October 2007 By Arthur Eedle

63. Cameo. Part 4

28th October 2007 By Arthur Eedle

64. In His Hands

1st November 2007 By Arthur Eedle

65. The Starlings

5th November 2007 By Arthur Eedle

66. “Dead Truth”

13th November 2007 By Arthur Eedle

67. “Dead Sin”

18th November 2007 By Arthur Eedle

68. “Dead Faith” and “Dead Works”

2nd December 2007 By Arthur Eedle

69. “Dead Worship”

18th December 2007 By Arthur Eedle

70. A Pseudo-Bunyan Author

19th March 2008 By Arthur Eedle

Article Series

  • All our Yesterdays (30)
  • Before He comes (13)
  • God's Spoken Word (37)
  • Mysteries of Science & Faith (8)
  • New Series (101)
  • Newsletter (2)
  • Original Series (109)
  • Prophecy considerations (5)
  • Recognising the Hand of Judgment (33)
  • Resurrection and Change (16)
  • Seekers Corner (14)
  • Simple Statements on Serious Subjects (6)
  • The City of God (18)
  • The Millennial Octave (23)
  • The Restitution Times (22)
  • The Song of Solomon (6)
  • The Standard (19)
  • The Wayside Pulpit (107)
  • The Wayside Pulpit 2015 (96)
  • The Wellspring (101)
  • The Wellspring 2017 (55)

Index of Topics

Arthur & Rosalind Eedle's Personal Testimonies Discipleship Expository Items Good and Evil Human Pre-Existance Jane Leade. Philadelphian Numerology in the Bible Quotations from other Authors Resurrection and the Change Ron Wyatt. Archaeology Science Topics The Kingdom of God the Millennium and the Return of Christ The Sabbath Day Universal Reconcilliation

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