I got caught in the rain yesterday. Throughout the day as I went from place to place running errands, the sun seemed to shine brighter and brighter. I was really enjoying it after all the rainy days we have been having. However, as I approached one of my last stops, the sky suddenly grew dark and by the time I arrived the rain was pouring down hard. There I was in my tank top, shorts and flip-flops running into the bookstore and getting absolutely drenched!
I was so unprepared for the downpour, yet if I had only followed the signs in the weather I could have anticipated that it would be another rainy day. The humidity, the clouds in the sky, the fact that it has been raining almost every day since April, all excellent signs that more was coming! How did I miss that?
I think about other times that I ignored the warning signs in my life and got caught in a downpour of disappointment. If I wasn’t so hasty and instead only moved with the covering of God’s umbrella, I might have avoided getting soaked.
Are you faced with some decisions today? Do you see warning signals and wonder how you should proceed?
Submit every decision to the Lord. Sometimes we feel hesitant because of our own anxiety, sometimes we are hesitant because of the warning of the Holy Spirit. Pray so that you will be able to know the difference. When you make your move, make sure you take God’s Umbrella with you.
New International Version (NIV)
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
Do you remember when New Edition asked this question? They sang:
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On a perfect day
I know that I can count on you
When that’s not possible
Tell me, can you weather the storm
Cause I need somebody who will stand by me
Through the good times and bad times
She will always, always be right there
Sunny days everybody loves them; tell me baby
Can you stand the rain
Storms will come-this we know for sure
Can you stand the rain
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Sometimes we expect people to play a position in our life that only God can fill. Will people love you and be there for you? Yes. Is it guaranteed that they will be there for you every time and always understand the storms in your life? No.
Humans have limitations in relationships that God does not have. He will not only weather every storm, He will carry you safely through the storm. I think we can love and appreciate others more when we release them from unrealistic expectations and instead, cast those cares upon the Lord.
When the storm comes, don’t turn to man, turn the One who controls the wind and the rain. Rest in Him as He enables you to stand through the rain, the storm and any test.
Proverbs 10:25 (New International Version)
When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,
but the righteous stand firm forever.
As I mentioned before, I believe God is speaking to us through this unusual season of rain and I want to get every lesson. I think about the story of Noah when God allowed rain to wipe out every living thing except those safely hidden in the ark.
It’s as if God looked upon the earth and wondered whatever happened to the peace and loveliness that existed in the garden He created for Adam and Eve? Where had the innocence gone? Where were his beloved sons and daughters who loved to meet with Him and hear His voice?
It was time to clean house and wash away all the evil that had infested this world. God allowed the rain to fall for forty days and forty nights, cleansing the earth of everything that was impure, leaving only Noah, Noah’s family and two of each kind of animal so that the earth could be replenished.
God washed away the corruption and preserved that which was still beautiful in His sight. Noah had a heart after God and walked uprightly even in the midst of all the ungodliness that surrounded him. He obeyed God’s instruction even to the point of looking like an utter fool. His ability to hear God’s voice and heed his instruction turned out to be the difference between life and death. Noah chose life.
Like Noah, I want to hear the voice of God and choose Life. As I picture this scene in my mind, I am praying, Lord, would you rain down on me?
Rain on me for as long as it takes God! Wash away every impurity, every unclean thing, every thought that is not in line with your Word. Shower me with your love, your mercy and your grace. Drown out the pain, the sorrow and the shame. Leave only the pieces of me that are pleasing to You. Make me whole once again Lord and restore my relationship with You. I love You.
Psalm 51:7 (New International Version)
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
