It’s Friday . . . Let His Rains Refresh Us

Moving from the Pacific coast of Southern California to the Atlantic coast of central Florida has caused me to say on several occasions (in a good way), “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” The change and relocation has been very healthy. One noticeable difference is the summer afternoon thunderstorms and rains that wash everything down and help keep the landscape lush. These warm showers have brought refreshment and relief to my spirit.

We all long for seasons of refreshing, don’t we? Life has a way of taking us into dry deserts, dark forests, and dangerous mountain paths. Those parts of the journey sometimes give us a sense of adventure, but when they drag on, we need relief. The Good News of The Kingdom of God is that The LORD promises it. The Psalmist gives us a picture of God’s realm in Psalm 72 which includes a gentle rain that refreshes us and leads us to a harvest.

“May He be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.” (Psalm 72:6)

No doubt, sometimes those dry deserts and dangerous places are our own fault. We wander into them either by passive negligence of God’s purposes or active rebellion against them. Yet, while there are consequences to sin, we belong to a God who is truly merciful. The truth is, the seasons of refreshing aren’t only for those who have innocently endured a hard time. He doesn’t leave us in the desert, even if we walked away from Him to get there. He always listens to our cries for relief.

God’s Kingdom is in some sense a restoration of Eden, or at least Eden’s satisfying, fulfilling blessings. One day we will fully experience these blessings, but even now, yes – right now, we get to taste many of them. Weary souls can have their strength renewed; we can mount up with wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). We can know that the hard seasons of life are temporary.

Friends, in our longings for The Kingdom, let’s not be afraid to ask God for seasons of refreshing – for the warm rains of His love to fall on us and bring new growth. The Good News is, not all of life is a problem to endure; much of it is a blessing to enjoy. So, if the blessings ever seem few and far between, let’s ask The Lord for relief. Let’s open our hearts to receive His touch and His promise. Let His Rains Refresh Us. Agree?

Have a rest-filled weekend. Make it better by worshiping The Lord with those who recognize and acknowledge that in Him true refreshment is found, and they don’t hesitate to run to Him often.

All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see, to Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15b-16)