In this lesson, students learn about the blessing of weather.
Devotion
Matthew 5:45
For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
According to Jesus' words, it doesn't matter whether you are Christian or not, all have the blessings of good weather. All also suffer when people don't take care of the land as the LORD intended. All of us have been given the command to rule over the earth and subdue it. He tells us how to subdue it when He put Adam and Eve into the garden of Eden. A garden is an opportunity to tend the land. They were to grow crops, obtain food, tend the land so it would continue to grow.
With the world concerned about global climate change, we know that God will continue to bless us with good weather. Some say global climate change has passed the tipping point and that nothing can be done. If that is so, what will be the result, what does it mean to have global climate change? To say that nothing can be done is to say that God is not in charge. He tells us that since He gave His Son for our sins, He will not hesitate to give us all things. On this promise, we can rest secure.
Elijah's offering is consumed by fire from heaven in a stained glass window at St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
The lesson
17 Elijah from Tishbe, one of the settlers in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the Lord lives, the God of Israel before whom I stand, there will be no dew or rain during the coming years, except at my word.”
18 After a long time, the word of the Lord came to Elijah. (It was during the third year.) He said, “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain to water the surface of the ground.” 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. ... Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and all the streams. Maybe we will find enough grass so that we can keep the horses and mules alive, and we will not have to slaughter the cattle.” 6 In order to cover the whole land, they divided it between the two of them. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. ...17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, the one who brings trouble on Israel?”
18 Elijah said, “It is not I who have brought trouble on Israel, but rather you and your father’s house, because you abandoned the Lord’s commandments and followed the Baals. ...41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for I hear the sound of a heavy rainstorm.” 42 So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. He bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 He said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.”
So his servant went up and looked, and he said, “There is nothing.”
But seven times Elijah told him, “Go again.”
44 On the seventh time the servant said, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.”
Then Elijah said to him, “Go up and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down so that the rain does not stop you.’”
45 Meanwhile, the skies got dark with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab got into his chariot and went to Jezre’el. 46 But the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he hiked up his garments around his waist and ran ahead of Ahab until he came to Jezre’el.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=facR8OAz0xQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0qnclIWHD4