Here is sovereign mercy: “I will send down showers in season.” Isn’t that a divine mercy? Who can say “I will send down showers” except God? There is only one voice that can speak to the clouds, and tell them to make rain. Who sends the rain down on the earth? Who scatters showers on the green plants? “Is it not I, the Lord?” So grace is the gift of God—it is never created by humans. And this grace is very much needed. What would the ground do without showers? You may plow the soil and sow your seeds, but what can you do without the rain? God’s blessing of grace is just as needful. You will work in vain until God sends His showers—till He sends salvation down. Then you find a plentiful grace. “I will send down showers.” It does not say, “I will send down drops,” but “showers.” So it is with grace. If God gives a blessing, He usually gives so much that there is not room enough to receive it. Plentiful grace! Ah, we want plentiful grace to keep us humble, to make us prayerful, to make us holy; plentiful grace to make us zealous, to preserve us through this life, and at last to land us in heaven. We cannot do without those saturating showers of grace. But remember that it is a seasonable grace: “I will send down showers in season.” What is your season this morning? Is it a season of drought? Then that is the season for showers. Is it a season of heavy skies and black clouds? Then that is the season for showers. “Your strength will equal your days” (Deuteronomy 33:25). And here is a varied blessing: “There will be showers of blessing.” The word showers is plural. God will send all kinds of blessings. And all of God’s blessings go together, like links in a golden chain. If He gives saving grace, He will also give comforting grace. He will send “showers of blessing.” You poor, dried-out plant—look up today, and open your leaves and flowers for a heavenly watering. - C. H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
This is a very profound thought! Weather men and women have for centuries tried to figure out the weather. They try to link it to human usage of the world.
Political leaders try to use what is 'discovered' for their own profit. In the end that's their only motivation. Politicians do not work for their constituents. They all have the same agenda. Find a way to have a next term in office.
But that's not the point of this devotional. It's a very powerful, poignant moment of realization. The storms of life are by His command.
Think about the point of rain. Of storms. There is a point to it in the physical world. It's a time of replenishment of things towards the Earth. Storms are when God gets out the scrub brush. Tornadoes are for deeper cleaning. Hail is for cleaning that is deeper still. Every aspect of every kind of weather is at the command of God.
Scientists, mainly secular scientists, still try to teach that its random. That its an evolutionary thing based on what man is doing to this world. A full on refusal to believe that a divine Creator is behind it.
Satan is behind their thinking. It didn't used to be that way. In the early years of science most were Christians.
Satan will twist and manipulate every perception of man to try to convince them that God's not real and that he is.
Satan wants the Throne of God.
We face storms in our lives that push us, that feed us and that cleanse us. The storms we face in the Spiritual world shape us. That same God over all nature is over everything Spiritual. Satan wants us to be so distracted by his smoke and mirrors that we don't see the hand of God in our lives or the lives of others.
Read what Blackaby says for today's devotional:
Peter and the other disciples were continually disoriented to God. While Jesus was concerned about one thing, it seems that the disciples were always distracted by something else. In order to help his three closest disciples better focus on His imminent sacrifice on the cross, Jesus took them up to the Mount of Transfiguration. There, Jesus was transfigured into a glorious state and was joined by Moses and Elijah, two of history's mightiest men of God. The disciples, however, were asleep! At one of the most profound moments in history, the disciples were more interested in sleep than they were in praying with the Son of God. When the disciples awakened, they became distracted again. This time, Peter announced his plans to build three tabernacles. The disciples were more concerned with what they could do for God than the incredible work of redemption God was about to accomplish through His Son. Finally, God removed everything from the disciples' sight but Jesus. “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” It is so easy to become spiritually distracted. Do you find yourself focusing on everything else but Christ and the work He is doing around you? Are you so eager to “get to the work” that you have not yet clearly heard what is on God's heart? Does the Father need to remove from your life those things that are proving to be a distraction to you? Do you need to refocus on Jesus?
The only voice that can command the weather is that same voice that commands the weather of our lives in the Spiritual world.
We are no different than the Disciples. Peter, John etc. all easily distracted. Constantly missing the point of what was being said by Jesus. Certainly sounds like me. Sound like you too? As with them...we're in the same boat.
Be still and know that He is God.
That was what the panicked Disciples were told by Jesus.
That's what Jesus meant by mentioning their faith. Be still in the midst of thesw storms and know that He is God. Know His promises. Trust in them, not in what you see. We walk by faith not by sight.
Our eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.
Today...today...is the day when we need to take a moment and sit on our hands. To see what's going on from His perspective. Ask Him. In many instances I have and He has shared. Sometimes His answer is not now or not yet. Or even no, because it's either bigger than me or not for me to know. The Disciples were all told basically the same.
Calm your heart this day before the Lord.
Be still and know that He is God. Rain is always necessary for growth. A timely lack of it causes roots to go deeper. Deeper roots have the end result in a stronger tree. Deeper roots in your Spiritual life mean a deeper relationship with Jesus. There are no coincidences. There are only Godincidences. Really know that each thing in your life is going to eventually be in accordance with His Plan for you. Each storm each rain shower is by His command. Scripture says those He loves He disciplines. Our parents loved us and disciplined us. Taught us. Taught us how to be, how to eat, how to live in this life. Oh how He loves us!
No comments:
Post a Comment