It is monsoon time in Mumbai! The rains bring lot of cheer among us-Mumbaikars, and there is the much needed relief from summer heat. What do the rains remind you of?
Today, I would like to share from the word of God on – rains; and what it means to us!
1. Blessings
If you look at Deut. 28:12, it says: “The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.”
This chapter in the Bible tells us of God’s blessings to the children of Israel, if- and when, they walk in obedience to His word. The children of Israel are the descendents of Abraham- the original recipient of the promise of God’s blessings. We are inheritors of all these promises by faith in Christ Jesus. Therefore when we walk in obedience to His word, and see the rains in its season, we must be people who are reminded of God’s promise of blessings to us- His children.
This passage in Deut. 28:12 reveals God’s heart and intention, to open to us His good treasure and bless us with rains from the heavens; and bless us in that we do- in the work of our hands; and bless us with financial security- that we may lend to many nations. What a privilege to have a God who seeks to bless us!
God says in Ezek. 34:26: “I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.”
God, the true Shepherd will lead us to that blessed place of pastures, water and rest in the mountains of Zion, the city of God; and there shall be showers of blessing! Not bits and pieces of raindrops here and there- the mercy drops; but the full throttle downpour of blessed rain.
So the next time you look up and the dark clouds in the sky, and experience the downpour, remember God’s promise of blessings to us all- His children and find your security. How great is our God! Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the LORD! [Psalm 144:15]
2. Loving Kindness
We need to be reminded also that we are sons of God- and there are conduct rules for His children. Jesus in Matt. 5:44, 45 says: “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.”
We ought to love, not just friends and believers, but also enemies. And learn to bless those who curse us… because we are sons of the Father in heaven. If God so desired, he could have sent rains only to the chosen- (as He made a difference in Goshen during the time of Moses); but He chooses to send rains on the just as well as the unjust.
Beloved, it is so easy to love only your friends who love you; and to find fault and always be critical of your enemies. But even in your workplace, if you have a difficult boss, who is unjust, we can consider the rains from our Father in heaven- and learn to be patient in love. Forgive people who have hurt you; do not sulk and do not keep grudges against anybody. Be merciful and kind to all! [See also Luke 6:35]
3. Trials
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus concluded with this illustration of the foolish man and the wise man: The foolish man built his house upon the sand; but the wise man built his house upon the rock: [Matt. 7:25] and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
Where are you building your house? Sooner- than later, the rains will descend. We will experience trial by fire and by water. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” [John 16:33]. Trials are mandatory- It proves to you God’s great faithfulness. And the Lord has promised that in the midst of trials He will protect us. No trial will be too great; and no trial will is too unique. (Do not think, only you have this trial!) 1 Cor. 10:13 says: No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
If you look at the previous 12 verses of this chapter (1 Cor. 10), Paul talks about the journey of Israelites from the land of Egypt to the Promised Land- examples from Old Testament. All those who came out of Egypt had seen God’s mighty hand of deliverance- how He had sent the plagues on Egypt while spectacularly protecting the land of Goshen- where Israelites dwelt; how He had trounced the Egyptian army in the Red sea. They all had the same spiritual food- Manna from heaven and water out of a rock. But when Moses sent 12 men to spy on Canaan, 10 of them said that the land they were about to possess is good, but there were giants in that land and that they themselves were like grass-hoppers; and we will not be able to displace them. Only two of them- Caleb and Joshua, withstood them and said that they were indeed able to go up and possess what God had promised. And we know of how all of their (-Caleb and Joshua’s) peers perished in the wilderness.
4. Prayer
James 5: 16, 17, 18 The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
We can learn prayer in the rains! I remember we were driving when the first monsoon showers hit Mumbai. It was getting really difficult to drive, and we parked our car on the side of the road, and prayed. God heard our prayer; the rains subsided, and we drove again arrived at our destination right on time!
Elijah was a man- just like you and me. He prayed in accordance with God’s word, that God will shut the heavens, if the people turn to do evil and wickedness. And the Lord heard the prayer of Elijah and stopped the rains. But then the people repented, and the false prophets and foreign gods were put away- on that great day in Mount Carmel. And Elijah prayed again- in accordance with God’s word, remembering His promise to open the treasure house of heavens and send rain- and God heard the prayer of Elijah, again.
You know when Elijah prayed for rains, after those 3½ years of famine, there was not a single cloud in the sky- like we do have now in Mumbai; and we know that the dark clouds will bring us the rains. There was no ‘earth simulator’ during the days of Elijah- with weather predictions and forecast- like we have now. There was a severe drought; the land was on the verge of economic collapse. But because of the effective, fervent prayer of Elijah, there was the sound of abundance of rain, from a cloud as small as a man’s hand!
There shall be showers of blessing! Do you see the rains? Remember that
- God is keen to bless you, bless your work and give you financial security
- God is calling you to love the just and the unjust
- God is making a way of escape out of your trials; be strong and courageous
- God is calling you to pray the effective, fervent prayer. Amen.
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