Rain Brings Growth

          It’s raining right now.  I like the rain.  It’s refreshing; all the colors are more vibrant; and it brings a comfort to me, as in blankets, reading, hot chocolate, soup and grilled cheese!  (But not all together, all at once!  That wouldn’t be too good…)

          To me, rain is like a fresh start.  It washes things away; it brings a sense of newness.  I know there are people who look at the rain and say, “Ugh.  It’s such a gloomy day.”  But there can be much joy in the rain.  The other day I walked past our roses… Oh goodness!  The fragrance was so strong and sweet!  I’ve walked by them time and time again; the only difference was that on this day it was raining.

“As the rain and the snow

         come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

         without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

         so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is My word that goes out from My mouth:

         It will not return to Me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

         and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:10-11 NIV

         God compares the rain to His rhema—His spoken word.  As the rain comes down and waters the earth, causing things to bud and flourish, so does His word!  Here are some synonyms for flourish:

Bloom, blossom, expand, thrive, flower, increase, bear fruit.

         When God sends His word out, it always thrives, increases, bears fruit, and blossoms!  From these verses, I believe that God also loves the rain!  (I mean, why would He create something that He doesn’t like?!)  He knows all the good that can come from the rain.  He loves it so much as to make it an illustration for our human minds!

         So, next time you see the rain, instead of groaning about not being able to go outside and enjoy the sunshine, maybe grab your Bible, a blanket, some hot chocolate, and listen for God’s rhema.  Listen for what He tells you.  Remember to thrive in what He speaks.