“As the rain soaks into the ground, so pray the Lord to let His gospel soak into your soul.” – C.H. Spurgeon
With rainy days come umbrellas, puddles on (previously) clean floors, and dour expressions. Laziness is common, as are melancholy moods. Rain makes us contemplative, tired, and sullen. The grey sky seems to indicate that, indeed, morning never really came this time.
But that’s not all that rain means.
Job 37 describes God’s view of rain as His:
“…voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.”
The rain doesn’t always seem purposeful. In fact, there are days on which it seems that if God lets it rain, He declines to answer prayers and instead allows us to suffer and miss out. Rather, than rain is evidence of His marvelous ways.
Rain, too, is a great thing beyond our understanding.
“He says…to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’
So that everyone he has made may know his work…”
Like all things, rain is something under God’s command. He chooses to send light showers and mighty downpours. The famous flood Noah faced was dreamt up, sent, and managed by God. And He has a good reason every time!
Rain is evidence of God’s work and presence.
“…he stops all people from their labor.”
The animals take cover;
they remain in their dens.”
Even the animals recognize that they must respond to the rain as a work of God. They have no say over when, where, or how it rains. Neither do we.
The rain is good for us and even necessary, it is powerful. Those measly little droplets of water are unlike those we pour from spouts and can stop or the ones we freeze to consume. Raindrops, as orchestrated by God, have the power to stop us in our tracks.
Think about that. Rain is a way that God prompts us to rest. No wonder rain is known for causing contemplation.
“He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them.
At His direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them.”
Imagine that just as He knows every star, He knows every raindrop. The Lord filled the clouds with the very moisture that drips down and washes our world.
Rain is a part of God’s reign.
“He brings the clouds to punish people, or to water his earth and show his love.”
We see in this simple verse a summary of the miraculous unity and multi-faceted nature that characterizes the Lord. His Word is a double-edged sword. His son Jesus came to bring peace, but also to divide. It’s through these “doubles” that the Lord defines and works out such precious things as the Gospel.
Rain, all at once, can stop us and bring us to repentance while also showing us the love of God and proving His care for us.
{Originally published on My Faith Radio}
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