Now, while these long sunny days are here, and you can watch and see so plainly the effects of the sun’s heat upon the earth, it will be a good time for us to have a few talks together about Heat and Moisture.

The earth would soon be destroyed by the burning rays of the sun when it shines full upon us, were it not for the moisture that God sends in the rain to keep it from getting parched and burned up.

Through these two things, heat or fire, and moisture or water, God is working out His great purposes in the earth.

These good gifts come down to us from above. Light and heat God gives us through the sun, and water through the clouds. But the sun and the clouds are only the channels, the means through which God is giving Himself to us.

Last week we learned that Jesus is “the Light of the world,” and “our God is a consuming fire,” we are told in His Word. But this tells us also that He is “the fountain of living waters.”

Perhaps you have read in the Book of Revelation about “the sea of glass mingled with fire,” that is before the throne of God,—water flowing forth from His throne so pure and clear and transparent that it looks like glass, and mingled with it the fire of God’s glory that lights and warms the universe.

Fire and water, then, though seem to us so opposite, are really but different forms of the life of God, coming forth from Him to warm and bless and refresh us and all the earth.

All the heat that we get anywhere in this world comes to us through the sun. You may be wondering if this can be true of the fires that are lighted to warm yet in the winter when the sun’s rays are so feeble.

Yes, even the cheerful, blazing fires in our grates are really the summer sunbeams that have been stored up in the trees and are now let out to help us in our need. Some of the trees were buried in the earth, and after many, many years hardened and changed to coal. To look at the black lumps you would not think there was much sunshine there, would you? But when they are put where they can get to the right heat, the light will burst forth and the heat will come out from the sunshine that was stored up there ages ago.

How lovingly our Heavenly Father has provided for our needs in preparing for us this wonderful supply of stored up sunshine, to keep us warm in the cold weather, to cook our food, warm the water for our baths, and help us in so many ways.

All fire is the same, the stored-up rays of the sun, which is the glory of the Lord. When the sun has set in the evening and no longer lights us with its direct rays, we use what we call “artificial light.” We light up our candles, lamps, or gas. But in these as in the wood and coal we are only using up the sunlight stored in these things, and it is still really the glory of God that is giving us light, for “the whole earth is full of His glory.”

Now during these long summer days the earth is storing up a supply of heat which will “radiate,” or pass slowly from it in the winter, and keep us warm when we cannot feel the heat of the sun.

You will perhaps be reminded by this of our talks in the winter about the garment that God spreads over the earth to keep in this heat in the cold weather,—snow for the ground and ice for the water.

If you do feel during these bright sunny days a little too warm, or even uncomfortably hot, think of the wonderful work of the sunshine, and how everything in the earth is storing it up for our future use,—the trees for our comfort and warmth, the fruits and vegetables and grains for our food, and even the ground itself to keep us warm in the winter.

Then I am sure you will not want to complain of the heat, but will thank God, the giver of all good, that He causes the light of His face to shine upon us and bless us.

The Present Truth – July 13, 1899
E. J. Waggoner

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