“I have summoned a drought on the fields and the hills, on the grain, new wine, olive oil, and whatever the ground yields, on man and beast, and on all that your hands produce.” Haggai 1:11 HCSB
Not only was I born in Amarillo, Texas, the Lord allowed me to serve at First Baptist Church, Amarillo, Texas as youth pastor for seven years. Amarillo is in the Panhandle of Northwestern Texas. The landscape is not much. It is as flat as a pancake with very few trees. The wind blows constantly and sometimes there is a dust storm. Not much will grow in the Panhandle of Texas unless it is well-watered.
The people of Judah made their living from the grain, grapes, and olives that grew in abundance in the area. A drought would be devastating to the region and would destroy their ability to earn a living. The people took good care of their crops but neglected God’s temple. As a result, God allowed a drought to come on the land that made it difficult to grow anything. The purpose of the drought was to bring the people back to God and an understanding of the importance of restoring the temple.
Challenge: Even though God is in total control, we must understand that every natural disaster is not a result of God disciplining His children. He uses many different ways to bring His children to repentance. The purpose of God’s discipline is to make His children more like His Son, Jesus Christ. Thank God for any drought in your life that is helping to produce more Christ-like behavior.