Seeing God in the Summer Heat

It’s hot outside!

After all, it is June in South Texas. Church members with family up north are heading to Michigan or Minnesota for several weeks. Other members are going to the coast to be near the water. Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park, is a madhouse with people everywhere. The objective is to beat the heat!

And shade – we need shade! I feel somewhat guilty as my boys stand out in the heat of a baseball field for their summer games and practices … while the rest of us are finding shade under a canopy or next to a tree.

“Shade” is one of the most underrated analogies for God in the Bible.

Isaiah 25:4-5 says, “For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, like heat in a dry place. You subdue the noise of the foreigners; as heat by the shade of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is put down.

In their worst moments, people can be ruthless, unkind, harsh. Especially when they’re hot and stressed. Rage can boil over in the summer months as people are uncomfortable and irritable.

God shelters us from ruthlessness. When the words of others are searing, like a scorching heat, God counters with His Word of truth that declares us to be forgiven, whole, and valued.

Psalm 121:5-6 says, “The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.”

The sun can do great damage. You’ve probably suffered through the pain of a sunburn. If we’re not vigilant, we can become dehydrated or get heatstroke. Similarly, the world can be a harsh place filled with disappointment, discouragement, and setbacks that can sap us of spiritual vibrancy.

God is your protector. The psalm says He’s your shade on your right hand. He’s by your side. He goes with you to shield you from the oppressive elements of this world. No matter how intense the hardships you’re facing, God is able to shield you with His grace and love through Jesus.

When the summer heat is beating down on you, find some shade and be reminded of God’s protection over you!