The prices of vegetable have gone up. It is a result of bad weather and floods. This does not only affect the income of the farmers but also us, the consumers. When this happens, it may have suddenly dawned upon you that mankind is very much dependent upon the weather or more correctly, the God who controls the weather for survival. Imagine the skies do not pour down water for three years as in the Old Testament time of Elijah (1 Kings 17-18) or if the skies pour down rain for forty days and forty nights as in the days of Noah (Gen 7). Mankind will die of hunger or thirst. We who live in an urban society do not feel the implication of this truth until, perhaps and hopefully, now. But the truth is we are indeed dependent upon, as the Chinese say, heaven or as we Christians say, God, for survival. Ask a farmer, who is in the frontline of food production and he will testify to this truth—you need God to survive.

Do not be Foolish

Do not be a fool and say, “Nah … my hands have fed me these many years.” But you know that you cannot decide when you die, or when you are struck down by permanent disability. Hence Christians wisely thank God in prayer before meals because we know that it is God who gives us good health and life to earn a living. In fact, your ability to enjoy good food comes from God which money cannot buy. There are some people who are very wealthy but cannot enjoy good food because of various sicknesses. Their wealth, power, and intelligence could not secure for them the ability to enjoy good food.

Be Wise

Hence, be wise—you need God to live and to live happily. Humble yourself before the Almighty God and show God respect. Fear Him and walk softly before Him. If you have not believed in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, the Bible says that the wrath of God is on you because you are a sinner (John 3:36). It is frightening to live in God’s fury because you may die anytime. But God loves you and has prepared a way for your sins to be cleansed. When Jesus died on the cross, it was for you. He took your sins upon Himself and became sin. God poured His wrath on Jesus. Today, if you believe in Jesus, Jesus’ blood cleanses away all your sins.   You will then have the right to become a child of God (John 1:12) and receive eternal life (John 3:16).

Dear Christian, you live because God has been watching over you. You have a family because God gave it to you. You have good health and a job because God sustained you. But you say, “If the Lord is good, why am I going through these many difficulties?” But have you ever considered things from another perspective: You may face adversities but you live on and have thus far emerged unscathed. Why? That is because God has never and will never forsake His children—you. Hence, the prophet Jeremiah rightly says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end” (Lam 3:22).

Therefore, be grateful to God. Be faithful to God. Love Jesus with all your heart, put Him first in your life and serve Him. If you are going through trials and temptations, take heart—God is in control. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear but when it is beyond your ability to bear, He will open a river of living waters in the desert so that you will live (1 Cor 10:13). And how can He not give you all good things when He loves you so much that He gave up His life on the cross—for you (Rom 8:32)?