Hail devastates crops, pounding precious grain into the ground. We should be thankful when our harvest is spared. Let's thank the Lord for His protection. Worse than hail are the mysterious destroyers: smut, bunt, rust, and mildew.

These diseases turn grain to soot, rot it, or dry it up. They act beyond human control, so the farmer admits, "This is the finger of God." Tiny fungi cause these issues, and without God's mercy, famine could overwhelm us. His infinite mercy preserves our food. With so many threats to the harvest, it's wise to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." The curse is real; we constantly need God's blessing. Blight and mildew are heavenly disciplines; they teach us to endure and seek God. Spiritually, mildew often invades.

Just as our work seems promising, this blight attacks. We hope for conversions, but find apathy, worldliness, or hard hearts. There may be no outright sin in those we're reaching, but a lack of sincerity and commitment disappoints us.

We realize our need for God and prayer to protect our work. Spiritual pride or laziness can bring this evil upon us, and only God, the Lord of the harvest, can remove it. Mildew could even settle in our own hearts, weakening our prayers and spiritual activities. May the great Gardener keep such calamity away. Shine on us, blessed Sun of Righteousness, and drive the blights away.