Rainy Days - Part 2
"Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew?”
Job 38:28
Well, I ended up running through the rain from my front door to the car door. Sitting with wet hands and damp pants, I paused to pray for safe traveling mercies. Less than 5 minutes later, the rain stopped, and all was right in my world again! Wait a minute. My world? As I thought about it more, I had to repent. I had no power to start or stop the rain. In fact, instead of complaining, I should have considered the benefits of rainy days. May we explore two together?
1. Rain is necessary for survival.
If we were able to trace the nourishing influence of a single rain droplet, I believe we would marvel in amazement. By the time our eyes notice rain, a complex formative process was already under way. First, air was saturated with enough water vapor to form clouds. Next, coalescence and fragmentation began, during which water droplets fuse together and break apart as they descend. Then, the size of rain droplets was determined by the temperature of the place where they fell. Finally, rain lands!
Rain landing on street lights and umbrellas may seem uneventful, but rain landing on cultivated fields and fledgling trees is essential. God is so deeply concerned about nature’s survival that He sends rain. Job 38:25-27 says,
“Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, to water a land where no one lives, an uninhabited desert, to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass?”
By the way, God Himself raised that question to Job to emphasize the fact that God takes care of portions of His earth that few human eyes will ever see and where minimal human feet will ever tread!
In 2016, I traveled to Arusha, Tanzania. It was an inspiring and humbling experience. While there, I visited the Ngorongoro Crater. This 100 square mile expanse, created by a volcanic eruption, is the largest of its kind. I looked left and right, in front and behind. As far as I could see there was land. I saw warthogs, flamingos, zebras, buffaloes, rhinos, antelopes, lions, and more. I was intrigued by the customs and norms of the Maasai community. As I pondered the ratio of land to people and animals, I was enraptured by its disproportionality. Furthermore, I was inspired by God’s faithfulness. God does not only send rain to cities bustling with millions of people. God sends rain to craters where only a few live. God wants everyone to survive.
2. Rain is necessary for revival.
Droughts are destructive. Crops fail. Cattle die. Grass withers. Droughts are depressing. Flowers fade. Soil stales. Trees rot. Even wind whistles a weary, moistureless rasp. If you have never endured a natural drought, perhaps you are familiar with a spiritual drought. No motivation to pray. No joy in fellowship. No encouragement in worship. No peace in song. No gladness in life. No love at home.
But then, when you needed it the most, a droplet of possibility fell on your heart. Maybe it was a text message or a kind gesture. It could have been the innocent laughter of children or a newborn’s smile. Perhaps it was a passing fragrance that reminded you of a loved one. Or, it could have been a passage of Scripture you learned in grade school. Whatever it was felt like the first shower of rain after a mitigating season of drought. You were reminded that rain revives. When rain falls, it causes life to emerge where there was once death. Perhaps this is one reason Jesus extolled the loving character of our Father in heaven, saying:
“He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45
So my friend, the next time you have a rainy day, rejoice! Where there is rain there is survival and revival.
You’re Already Loved,
Pastor Martin
6/26/2020