Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
Dry Ground in the Middle of a Downpour
It has been raining every day this week and last week too as I recall. A lot of people at the store where I work come in and complain about the rain. Mind you these are the same people who just a while back complained about the heat, the sun, no rain! You can please some of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time, and some of the people none of the time.
I can imagine those words coming from God's lips as He allows the refreshing rain to fall from Heaven on the just as well as on the unjust.
It is fun to observe how these complainers and people, in general, handle all the rain. I sat in my car on break (dry) during a flood one evening and watched people. Some ran. Some walked. Some held their head down looking at the ground. It was if they had never experienced wetness before. They chose their steps carefully as if they had hopes of finding a place to step where they would find dry ground in the middle of a downpour. I didn't see anyone find that place. There were the few, the prepared, and the dry. They carried umbrellas which protected them as raindrops bounced off. And there were the even
fewer - those who looked up at the rain and happily let it fall on their faces.
As I enjoyed the rain and the show of the shoppers and complainers, I thought of the Bible lesson the children had at Sunday School last week. It was about a bunch of complainers in a dry desert who God took care of. God protected them from the elements with an umbrella of sorts that He prepared just for them, a cloud by day and fire by night. He fed them by raining food specially prepared just for them down from Heaven.
With blessings raining down, the complainers kept on complaining anyway.
Poor Moses!
Just think, when they reached their promise the Israelites let giants keep them from the blessing that was their's for the taking. Had they not faced many challenges before?
We often have the opportunity to have blessings rain down. Some run or walk away from the blessings and some carefully seem to tiptoe around them, almost avoiding them because they are afraid they might step into something new that they haven't experienced before. We often find ourselves standing on spiritual dry ground complaining right in the middle of God raining down blessings ready to be soaked in by those who are ready to receive them.
There are some who seem to have an umbrella protecting them from everything. They let bad things that they have the power to conquer keep them from good things that God has waiting just for them. It is almost as if these people block the blessings. They may begin to venture toward their blessing that lies in unfamiliar territory, but all too often they allow every challenge to feel them with fear.
How many times have I done that? Several and quite often.
As I walked back into the store, without an umbrella, I looked up for a minute and let the rain fall on my face. I said to myself and to God I think, "I love the rain."
May I be prepared daily, rain or shine, to face all the giants who want to keep me from my promise.
May challenges simply change my complacency and charge my capability.
May I always be one who will look up happily and expectantly waiting to receive blessings God rains down on us daily, drenching the dry ground.
*I found the poem below that my mother wrote long ago that accompany these thoughts very well.
Let Me Count My Blessings
Dear Lord let me count my blessings that you bestow on me.
Open my eyes wide so that I may see,
The wonder of your power and the glory of your might.
Let me count my blessings every day and night.
When I grow discouraged and sadness tries to find me,
Come a little closer dear Lord, and remind me,
Of the many people less fortunate than I.
Let me count my blessings as I see them passing by,
The little crippled boy and the old man who is blind.
While I may see the beautiful; and two strong legs are mine.
As I travel down life's pathway,
Let me forever see,
All the many blessings Lord, that you rain down on me.
By Christine Elizabeth West
jbp