After the Rain: God's Blessings are Coming After the Rain

 

After the Rain

I love springtime. However, there are two things that I don’t like about spring. They are the storms and the long periods of rain. Last week, it rain almost none stop. Everyone began to complain about the weather. I even started to wonder when it was going to stop. Someone jokingly asked “Is it going to rain for 40 days and 40 nights?” Thankfully, after almost two straight weeks of rain, the sun came out. As I was enjoying the beautiful sunshine, God spoke to my heart. He whispered into my spirit, “After the Rain”.

As I looked around, I noticed something. After the rain passed, the grass was greener and new life was bursting forth everywhere. Flowers were blooming. Birds were singing. It was amazing. And, just like nature begin to flourish after the rain, so can we. We can become stronger, better, and more beautiful after the rain.

We don’t have to be defeated by our current situations. We don’t have to be held down because of our past. We don’t have to be discouraged because of what our finances look like. Yes, it may be raining in your life today. But, that doesn’t mean the rain will last forever. Change is coming. The sun will eventually break through. But, what do you do in the meantime?

In the meantime, give praise to God. Thank God for his faithfulness. Even thank God for the rain because the rain is change you. It is molding you. Just like nature grows and flourishes after the rain, so will you. We have to remember that it is God who sends the rain as well as the sunshine. Without the rain, there would be no growth. God has orchestrated the events of our life. He is using the rain for His purpose and of our own good. We must remember that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways.

 

So, instead of focusing on the negative. Focus on the positive. Go ahead and praise God for the change he is working in you. Thank him for increasing your faith because after this you will have sunshine.

Amen!

Isaiah 55:9-11

Desperate People Do Desperate Things

Desperate People

Have you ever been desperate? Well, I have. I think, we all have. Have you noticed that when you are desperate you do crazy things~things that you won’t have done if the circumstances had been different? Come on. Be honest with yourself. The following is a true statement: desperate people do desperate things.

As believers, it is so important that we focus on God and not our circumstances. We should never find ourselves in a situation where our back is against the wall, and we make desperate choices. We should always consult God first. Let’s look at some biblical incidents were people were desperate, and instead of turning to God, they turned to someone else or something else.

Victim of desperate circumstance #1: King Saul

After the death of Samuel, the Philistines gather together and settle around Shunem, and King Saul becomes afraid. When he didn’t hear from God, he took matters into his own hands. He consulted a medium. King Saul had this woman conjure up Samuel from the dead. (Playing with Dead Things~we’ll talk about that at another time). Although Saul knew this was wrong, he was desperate. So, he sins.

Victim of desperate circumstances #2: King David

Oh, King David…King David. You have to love this guy. Well, God did. He did a whole lot even despite his many short comings. Let’s look at his desperate situation. He sees a beautiful woman. He wants beautiful woman. He sends and gets beautiful woman. Beautiful woman gets pregnant. Beautiful woman is married to someone else. By law, she should be killed. By law, King David should be killed. Oh, what a tangled web we web when intentions are to deceive. King David was in a pickle. So, what does he do? He tries to trick Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, into going home and sleeping with his wife. When this doesn’t work, he has poor Uriah killed.

Okay. I know you are probably thinking that these guys did some bad stuff. Yes, they did. But, so do we. We have each done something that is wrong. We have each done somethings that we are ashamed of. Take the time to think about it. So, what should have happened in each situation?

King Saul had stopped doing what was right a long time before Samuel died. He made a lot of bad decisions that caused God to reject him. This was simply another example of his bad decision-making. Let us not become so consumed with our wrong-doing that God rejects us.

Poor King David should have been off fighting like the other kings. If he was too tired for a battle, he should have stopped looking when he saw Bathsheba at her bath. He should have ran away from his window like Joseph if he had had to. But, because he was the king and could do just about anything, he decides to indulge his lust. Think about it. He had several wives and concubines that he could have slept with. But, because he could, he sends for a woman he know is forbidden. As a result, his lineage is riddled with turmoil.

So, let us turn to God when we are desperate. Let us not look at our circumstances. Let us look to him who made the sun to stand still and parted the Red Sea. Let us look to him who can move mountains and the hearts of men.

He can do all things except fail. There is nothing too hard for God. Amen!

1 Samuel 28:3-25

2 Samuel 11

2 Samuel 12

Matthew 19: 26

Jeremiah 32: 27

Trust that God is Able

Trusting that God is Able

How often have we heard the story of Samson and Delilah? It is a famous story of a strong man brought down by a pretty face…but, that is a story for another day. I am going to talk about another woman from Samson’s life…his first wife, the woman who helped to start his war with the Philistines. Her name is not mentioned but her deeds are.

She was another pretty face. Samson saw her and wanted her for his wife. The Bible never mentions her intelligence or her integrity. In fact, we see that she is rather fickle. When she is pressured by her countrymen to get the answer to Samson’s riddle from him, she complies. It is true that the Philistines threatened to burn her and her family if she didn’t give them the answer to her husband’s riddle. However, it is here that wifey makes a grave mistake. Instead of telling her husband what is going on, she decides to manipulate him. She bats her lashes and waters her eyes. She begs and moans until her husband gives in. Samson gives her the answer, and she gives it to his enemies.

Mistake…mistake. But, you might argue that her countrymen were threatening to kill her. She had to give them the answer! No, she did not.

Samson’s wife should have told her husband what was going on. This mighty man of God was well able to handle a few Philistines. Instead of trying to control her husband, she should have turned to him for help. Let us not forget, God made man to be a covering for us. One of our husband’s jobs is to protect us. Samson could have easily protected his wife and her family. But, she didn’t trust him.

Sadly, we are often just like her. Instead of trusting God to deliver us, we run to friends. We burn up the phone lines whining to our friends about our problems. We stay up at night worrying about things we can’t control. The reality is that God can control this things. God can change people and situations. I know. He had my enemy give me a job and place me in an honored position.

When I look back over my life, I can see the many times when God came through for me. If he did it then, he can do it now.

God can do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or think.

Praise God. Amen.

Judges 14:15-19

Drive though Prayer

 

Drive through Prayer

I have been meaning to comment on this for some time, but for some reason, I always forget until later. However, I will take the time now to do so. Last summer when I was driving through Meridian, Mississippi, I saw a sign up at one of the churches. It said, “Drive through Prayer”. I turned around to get a good look at the sign and I saw several people in what seemed like a line waiting on people to drive through to get prayed for. I thought to myself, “Wow! Are we that consumed with having everything fast and quick?” But, then I realized that there were people out there who were willing to give up their time to pray for strangers who might wonder through. My train of thought then was, “How awesome is it that God has people who care enough to stand out in the hot sun to wait on people in need of prayer.” I even remembered at time when I was so desperate for someone to pray with me. So, my hats off to those people and the church with “Drive through Prayer”.

Prayer Journal

Prayer Journal

I have decided that I will began a Prayer Journal. This is a journal in which I will place the names of people I want to pray for and things I need to pray for. My prayer partner and I used to do this years ago. We got away from it, but as I was driving down the road today, the Lord place the desire to create another in my spirit.

Years ago, when I kept a prayer journal, I was able to go back and look at my list and see the awesome work that God had done for me, my family, and my community. So, I will begin one again. The Prayer Journal will also help me to remember those people and issues that I mean to pray for, but sometimes forget.

Feel free to join me. Start your own prayer journal today!