We are thankful today for God opening up the skies with plentiful rain to nourish our dry land.  He lights up the skies with pulsing lightning, and His angels pound His tympani with loud thunders.  What, when, and where God ordains, His will is indeed good.  I paraphrase the hymn, “What God Ordains,” written by Samuel Rodigast (1649-1708).

Ordained in Light and Love   

God provides well for all life.

His will fills my heart with confidence.

My faithful God knows the paths I must follow.

He holds my hand wherever He leads me.

God is the light, the life, and the Savior of the world.

No evil will devour me with God’s unwavering care.

The dawn will be clear, and my joy and pain will He carry.

God will forever love me.

When my doubts are high, He remains with me.

God quenches my thirsts and questions with graceful love and peace.

God brings night to a close and returns a bright morning.

Faithfully, I face tomorrow and give my sadness to Him.

He will never fail me on my dangerous journeys.

When I am in my deepest need, He will lift my grief in death.

He will draw me near and hold me in His tender arms.

In His light and love, I walk with head high, and my voice sings His praise!

Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2006, 776.

Anna Hartt