The threat of rain . . .

 

Last night’s closing meeting and banquet of our local quilt guild was a blessing. Not all are Christians but the sense of human family was strong and lovely. Quilters are a generous people, thoughtful and kind to others. While the world has its pull on each of us, the desire to care for others is strong and many make quilts for “widows and orphans” and others who are in need.

Scripture speaks of our responsibility to love and care for others, but also of the difficulties and challenges we face. This often is my experience after a blessing like last night and should trials come. I need to remember a few things. One of them is this verse that was also in the first worship song I sang today:

I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. (2 Timothy 1:12)

I’m struck by my weakness and inability to always do what I know I should, even what I want to do, yet God makes a divine promise to take care of me and of all His people. I might have concerns for them, especially for the prodigals and those who stray, yet Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)

In this He covers all times, circumstances, contingencies, events and possibilities. What if they are babes and their faith is weak? ‘They shall never perish!’ What if they are young and their passions are strong? ‘They shall never perish!’ What if they are old and their vision grows dim? ‘They shall never perish!’ What if they are tempted? ‘They shall never perish!’ ‘What if all hell breaks loose against them? ‘They shall never perish!’ What if they fall? ‘They shall never perish!’ What if they sin? ‘They shall never perish!’ What if they sin again? ‘They shall never perish!’ This promise takes in all His people. Not one will ever perish, no, not even one!

No, I must not let all threats put me into anxiety. He says we are secure, all of us and that no one can take us out of His care. We are preserved in the heart of our Savior’s eternal love and we are preserved in the hand of his omnipotent grace. What a blessed place to be! In that vein, one older devotional book publishes this poem:

“It isn’t raining rain for me, it’s raining daffodils;
In every dimpling drop I see wild flowers upon the hills.
A cloud of gray engulfs the day, and overwhelms the town;
It isn’t raining rain for me: it’s raining roses down.”

Even when life seems to be one huge storm with testings raining on me that seem beyond my power to endure, like disappointments, defeats, bereavements, suffering, and afflictions, they are not what I think. God is raining blessings.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)

That pounding of rain is at work to bring “spiritual flowers of such fragrance and beauty as never before grew in that stormless, unchastised life of ours.” I see the rain, but I also need to see the flowers. It is not God’s purpose that I flunk any of these tests but that I see the coming beauty, such as a deeper and more tender compassion for others that will, no matter the storm, nourish in my soul.

That is, any trials that come, even after great blessings, are not afflictions but fodder to promote growth, the growth of tenderness, love, compassion, patience, and a thousand other flowers and fruits of the Holy Spirit that worldly prosperity and ease will never give to me.

PRAY: Jesus, I tend to want blessings to never end and You to remove the anxieties of life. Unlike most of the world thinks, I know I cannot control the rain. It comes, or not, at Your bidding and for Your purposes. We rejoice to see the literal storms that are putting out wildfires and washing the smoke out of our skies, but I also need to rejoice at the spiritual storms that hit — for they too have a great purpose. You are teaching me to trust You in them, but also to look forward in joy to what You will do with them. Steadfastness and patience are easier to imagine than they are to demonstrate, but You know what I need to become more like You.

PONDER: Today, think about the power of God to produce good things from ALL things, from the stuff that seems so wrong, so contrary to His goodness. He can use rain to make flowers grow and bloom, and He can use struggles and trials to make His glory known and to bring peace and joy to human hearts.