Tag: rain

  • Showers of blessing

    It rained some yesterday, and more rain is forecast. That’s to be expected this time of year in the Lower Mainland. Today’s image is a leaf I captured after another recent shower.

    Rain can certainly put a damper on things (pun intended). The shorter hours of sunlight can cause my SAD (seasonal affective disorder) to flare up some, and rain makes most outdoor tasks a little more challenging and uncomfortable.

    Still, as I must remind myself, we do need the rain. Water tables are very low, and that’s making it difficult for salmon to spawn. It’s been dry, so there were fewer berries for the bears and other critters to fatten up with for winter.

    PROMISED BLESSINGS

    The thoughts on rain showers took my mind back to a passage I read recently in Ezekiel.

    “I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.  And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will provide for them a renowned place for planting so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 34:25-31 ESV

    Now that’s a specific promise made in a given context to the people of Israel. Still, it shows His heart towards those He loves.

    Our Almighty, Loving God wants to “send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.”  Think about that for a moment.

    God wants to bless you. It doesn’t mean you won’t face hard times or challenges. It does mean that whatever you face, God has blessings in store for you as a believer.

    Take some time today to reflect on the blessings God has already given you, and give Him thanks. Know there are more to come.

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    Rainy days reminded me of God’s promise in Ezekiel 34 to send showers of blessing in their season. Whatever we face, God has blessings in store for us as believers.

    TAKEAWAY

    God’s promise in Ezekiel 34 was made to Israel in a specific context, but it shows His heart towards those He loves, and that includes you.

    God wanting to bless you doesn’t mean you won’t face hard times or challenges; it means that whatever you face, He has blessings in store for you as a believer.

    Take time today to reflect on the blessings God has already given you, thank Him for them, and know more are coming.

    CHECK THESE POSTS OUT

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  • Complaining? Turn it to praise.

    We live in Abbotsford, BC, in the Lower Mainland. That means rainy winters, and it’s raining this morning. A few people at church yesterday (including me) were complaining about how wet the weather had been. So, I set myself on a quest to find out how much rain we had so far this year. Okay, not really a quest per se; I went online and looked.

    In January, we had 178mm (7 inches) of rain. That’s enough to fill 1.5 average Vancouver umbrellas. That’s a lot of moisture, but…

    The average rainfall for Abbotsford in January is 200 mm, so it has actually been drier than average. I guess we had no real reason to complain. Then I remember where we used to live and converted the rain to snowfall, about 5 inches. That’s enough to bring the Lower Mainland to a full stop if it fell at once, and it’s hardly noticeable in many places.

    Either way, there was no reason for complaining. It amazes me how often we can fall into complaining, even over first-world problems. There is something in the fallen human condition that seems determined to look at the world through darkened lenses and tell one another how bad things are.

    It’s nothing new. The Israelites in the wilderness complained about hunger. The Lord visibly and miraculously provided their daily bread. They still found reason to complain and wanted to go back to slavery in Egypt. We are fickle people.

    Compare that to the way the Bible tells us we ought to be.

     Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5-18 ESV

     “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”  Psalm 136:1 ESV

    “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” Job 1:21 ESV

    We often forget or fail to notice the many things we have to be grateful for. Some people keep a gratitude journal, where, at the end of the day, they note all the blessings, large and small, for that day. Others post an image of something they are grateful for on their social media page daily.

    There are many things to be grateful for. Even our street people have better living conditions than many people in the world. By and large, North Americans are still wealthier than the majority of people worldwide and across generations.

    If we are believers, our sins are forgiven, and we are reconciled to God. We are the recipients of His love and mercy. He walks with us in all our trials. The Spirit can intercede for us and more.

    It’s time to take some time and reflect on our blessings. As the old song says, “Count your blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings and see what God has done.”

    Instead of being people who complain, let’s remember how blessed we are, despite our circumstances, and praise God.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

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