“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace”.
Isaiah 55:10-12a
Rain! As it can be such a blessing, we often complain that it never comes at the right time! During droughts it doesn’t come soon enough. And during the floods, we wonder when it will end. When we have outdoor plans, we pout at the disruption and redirection of our day. But God sends His rain because it is good. He sends His rain because He is good. And He has reminded me lately how much I need His rain!
Not the wet stuff that falls from the sky, but His Word that He plants in my heart to nourish and grow my soul.
His Word wasn’t necessarily appealing to me for many years. But that day He grabbed my attention was the day the floodgates opened up. He revealed Himself to me as the gift from heaven who could offer me life! Life! Unlike the one I was living. Unlike the one I imagined. Life! Enriched with meaning and purpose. Living to honor Him and reflect His goodness. Life! Loved, valued, and redeemed by Jesus!
And in the stress and insanity of this past month, when I felt empty and dry, I have been so thankful that God cared enough about me to send me rain! I’m thankful for the flooding of my soul with His Word and His faithfulness so many times in the past that I could confidently know that He would do it again!
Just as God sent rain to protect Noah and his family, He sends rain to protect us from our emotions and strain. He sent rain (manna) to feed the Israelites and He continues to send rain to nurture and refresh us.
God rains down Scripture and encourgement before we even know that we need it. It might seem like it’s not useful at the time, or that it doesn’t apply to us, but every Word that God has written is useful to teach us, to convict us, to prepare us, and to equip us to do every good work that He has planned for us to do (2 Timothy 3:16-17). And He does this because He loves us!
But if we have our umbrellas up and are not paying attention, we might miss what He has in store for us.
In Deuteronomy 11:14, God tells us He “will send the rains in their proper seasons – the early rains and the late rains – so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine and olive oil”.
God desires to bless you with a harvest of joy and peace! He desires to annoint you with the Presence and the Power of His Spirit. And He desires to equip you with everything you need. Whether it’s strength and energy, motivation and passion, or patience and self-control. God’s Word will always accomplish what He desires for it to accomplish.
But we have to desire it too. We have to allow God’s Word to saturate our soul – meditating on it day and night. We should obey the commands to love God first and to love each other regardless of how we feel. And we must embrace the fact that God’s Word was written out of love to help us shape our lives into lives that love.
Every good and perfect gift is sent from above (James 1:17) and He is waiting to shower that gift on you! Will you let God’s goodness rain on you today?
12 words
Into every life some rain must fall. Let it be from God!
#SaturdaySoulSearch
Soak in some Worship time with Micheal W. Smith! (You’ll have to skip through the ads).
