If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. [Lev 26:3-4]
I have just returned from one of my favorite activities. I sat out on the front porch outside our offices watched it rain. It was soothing and reviving to my spirit. As I watched the steady downpour many things came to my attention. At first, I was grateful. This is the third day in a row we have gotten rain. We needed it so badly. The grass was dry and dead. This was a desolate place over the past several months. God in His bountiful mercy heard the cry of His children everywhere and not only gave us rain but He gave us a slow, soaking, saturating rain. It has not come in a torrential flood where most of the rain water ran off before sinking deep in the soil. This rain has come in long sustained and steady measures giving the parched ground a much needed drink from Heaven.
As I sat watching the soil dampening drizzle, I saw a cardinal land on the ground to eat some lunch on a fresh patch of green grass beginning to sprout again. Everywhere I looked I noticed the signs of life and the evidence of spring even though the temperature outside is a bit frigid today. Just a few days of rain and new life has come again.
I heard the pitter patter of rain pellets pelting the cover over the porch and then noticed a distinctly different sound as rain drops spattered on the ground below. Each rain a drop is a source of life to land which had been in a drought for far too long. God came through again. Just when things were getting to be most critical, God came to our rescue in the day of our trouble. He graciously and mercifully sent rain to replenish the earth again as He has always done throughout history, even though most will never thank for it and take it for granted.
The rain is symbolic to me of so many things. The rain symbolizes God coming and reviving His church in these spiritual drought conditions. In barely thirty six hours this past week a pastor was shot while preaching his sermon on a Sunday morning in Illinois, a mad gunman killed well over a dozen people at a school in Germany, and another disillusioned gunman killed family members and then went on a several mile shooting spree in Alabama while another suicide bomber killed over thirty people at a peace conference in Iraq.. We need the rain of God’s Spirit to comfort the anguished in this tormented world. We need the rain of God’s provision for those who are losing jobs right and left in a world where nothing seems safe and secure anymore. God’s rain reminds me that when things look the bleakest, He is still there to provide whatever is needed. He has not abandoned this world though many have abandoned Him. He comforts, rebukes, restores, and revives. The signs of life are all around us.
As I gathered my chair to come back inside to work on this article I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I nearly missed it but the sight of it stopped me in my tracks. Through the rain I looked across the street and beheld a white cross located on the roof of the First Christian Church. I just stood there staring at the cross for a few moments. When this world was dark, empty, and spiritually dead, God rained down infinite and abounding mercy through the gift of Jesus and His redemptive work on the cross. For over two thousands years God has been raining mercy on the hearts of repentant sinners without end. In spite of our waywardness, our rebellion, our love of sin, our deserving His wrath, in Jesus God has rained compassion and mercy for all who are spiritually thirsty. What joy that brought to my heart especially in light of Easter being only a month away. Jesus came. He died. He lives today!
Today I encourage you to let the rain of God’s spirit revive the dead places of your heart and life. I ask that you to be open to the rain of the Spirit of God who saturates souls with grace (unmerited favor and undeserved blessings). Many of you grew up in church and loved Jesus in those primary years. Since then you have drifted away and your souls are dry, desolate, and discouraged. Why not ask God for a spring like shower of His touch on your life again. Why not wake up this Sunday and attend the church of your choice asking God for rejuvenation and life in your spirit again.
When we choose to disobey and reject His commands nothing good comes of it. When we submit to His decrees and readjust our priorities He sends rain both physically and spiritually. We need the physical rain to fill the stock tanks, nourish the crops, sprout grass for livestock and grow hay for next winter. We need the physical rain. We also need the spiritual rain just as much. We have lived in this spiritual drought long enough. Let’s thank God for the rain and trust Him for showers of blessings in our souls as well.
I have just returned from one of my favorite activities. I sat out on the front porch outside our offices watched it rain. It was soothing and reviving to my spirit. As I watched the steady downpour many things came to my attention. At first, I was grateful. This is the third day in a row we have gotten rain. We needed it so badly. The grass was dry and dead. This was a desolate place over the past several months. God in His bountiful mercy heard the cry of His children everywhere and not only gave us rain but He gave us a slow, soaking, saturating rain. It has not come in a torrential flood where most of the rain water ran off before sinking deep in the soil. This rain has come in long sustained and steady measures giving the parched ground a much needed drink from Heaven.
As I sat watching the soil dampening drizzle, I saw a cardinal land on the ground to eat some lunch on a fresh patch of green grass beginning to sprout again. Everywhere I looked I noticed the signs of life and the evidence of spring even though the temperature outside is a bit frigid today. Just a few days of rain and new life has come again.
I heard the pitter patter of rain pellets pelting the cover over the porch and then noticed a distinctly different sound as rain drops spattered on the ground below. Each rain a drop is a source of life to land which had been in a drought for far too long. God came through again. Just when things were getting to be most critical, God came to our rescue in the day of our trouble. He graciously and mercifully sent rain to replenish the earth again as He has always done throughout history, even though most will never thank for it and take it for granted.
The rain is symbolic to me of so many things. The rain symbolizes God coming and reviving His church in these spiritual drought conditions. In barely thirty six hours this past week a pastor was shot while preaching his sermon on a Sunday morning in Illinois, a mad gunman killed well over a dozen people at a school in Germany, and another disillusioned gunman killed family members and then went on a several mile shooting spree in Alabama while another suicide bomber killed over thirty people at a peace conference in Iraq.. We need the rain of God’s Spirit to comfort the anguished in this tormented world. We need the rain of God’s provision for those who are losing jobs right and left in a world where nothing seems safe and secure anymore. God’s rain reminds me that when things look the bleakest, He is still there to provide whatever is needed. He has not abandoned this world though many have abandoned Him. He comforts, rebukes, restores, and revives. The signs of life are all around us.
As I gathered my chair to come back inside to work on this article I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I nearly missed it but the sight of it stopped me in my tracks. Through the rain I looked across the street and beheld a white cross located on the roof of the First Christian Church. I just stood there staring at the cross for a few moments. When this world was dark, empty, and spiritually dead, God rained down infinite and abounding mercy through the gift of Jesus and His redemptive work on the cross. For over two thousands years God has been raining mercy on the hearts of repentant sinners without end. In spite of our waywardness, our rebellion, our love of sin, our deserving His wrath, in Jesus God has rained compassion and mercy for all who are spiritually thirsty. What joy that brought to my heart especially in light of Easter being only a month away. Jesus came. He died. He lives today!
Today I encourage you to let the rain of God’s spirit revive the dead places of your heart and life. I ask that you to be open to the rain of the Spirit of God who saturates souls with grace (unmerited favor and undeserved blessings). Many of you grew up in church and loved Jesus in those primary years. Since then you have drifted away and your souls are dry, desolate, and discouraged. Why not ask God for a spring like shower of His touch on your life again. Why not wake up this Sunday and attend the church of your choice asking God for rejuvenation and life in your spirit again.
When we choose to disobey and reject His commands nothing good comes of it. When we submit to His decrees and readjust our priorities He sends rain both physically and spiritually. We need the physical rain to fill the stock tanks, nourish the crops, sprout grass for livestock and grow hay for next winter. We need the physical rain. We also need the spiritual rain just as much. We have lived in this spiritual drought long enough. Let’s thank God for the rain and trust Him for showers of blessings in our souls as well.
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