Avoiding Winter

Scripture Verse that Caught My Attention Today: Mark 13:18 Pray that it may not be in winter.

Observation: Based on this it would appear that the people Jesus was speaking too could pray that end times wouldn’t be in winter. But does that mean it won’t be in winter (assuming people pray as such)? Not necessarily. Also in today’s readings, in chapter 14, Jesus prays that he won’t have to go through suffering, though he also yields to God’s will. Apparently it was God’s will for Jesus to suffer, and so he did. So although we may take up Jesus’ advice and pray that it will not be in winter, God’s will still rules.

Application: Right now a large number of people are dealing with the after-affects of Hurricane Sandy. It’s not winter yet, but it is rather cold. With electricity on the blink and natural gas supplies shut off for safety, I would imagine that staying warm is no easy task. No, it’s not the end times (as far as I know), but it does give a sense to the challenges that such times might bring.

Of course, Jesus also said that all of those things would take place during the generation of his followers. And in many ways those things did eventually take place. Jesus was crucified and, some years later, the Romans ransacked the temple. I’m unclear as to what time of year either of these things occurred.

Regardless, winter can be a challenging time. I spent the better part of today working with my father-in-law who was graciously helping get my water system for the barnyard up and running again. Winter is just around the corner and I’m trying to get it all prepared. In this case praying that winter won’t eventually set in isn’t really an option. Better to just pray that I and the systems I need to work are properly prepared for whatever weather comes.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes it’s hard to know what to pray for these days. Guess I’ll just go with the tried and true: Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

(Readings today included: Job 25 and Mark 13-14)