Scripture: Jesus said, “But I say to
you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate
you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
Mt. 5:44
Ezekiel 34:26b - I will cause showers to come down in their season; there
shall be showers of blessing. NKJV
There shall be showers of blessing:
O that today day they might fall
Nathan
The occasion of rain is a
curious phenomena - Some people want it, some don’t.
Granted, timing plays a large role in how rain is accepted.
For some people, rain is an inconvenience, an interruption of life, a spoiler
of fun:
“Rain, rain, go away;
Come again some other day.”
Why? “Little Johnnie wants to
play.”
On goes the scowls, out come the umbrellas, washed away
goes the day.
Rain is a blessing for other people, however: The farmer
needing moisture to sprout or sustain crops, people with cisterns, and -
assuming that the shower is gentle and warm - children with obliging
parents.
Ever notice? Children who have to be dragged into the
tub/shower go joyfully and gleefully into the rain. Laughter, giggles, looking
for puddles, maybe eyes closed, looking to the heavens. (Perhaps it’s the
absence of soap.)
So, some want (and need) rain, and rain will answer
their prayers. Others, like Little Johnnie, are praying for sunshine.
Keep in mind the precepts of Matthew 5:45, that God makes
the sun shine on the evil and the good. He sends the rain on the just and
the unjust. Everybody! No matter what, somebody is going to be unhappy.
Does it grieve you that blessings fall on the evil ones,
perhaps those who hate you, or curse you? Are you discouraged to see bad
things happen to good people?
There are - and must be - times that we do not readily
see blessings in the answer that God gives us. Look closer; there may be
blessings falling, blessings sent by God that you are turning away with your
scowl and ‘spiritual umbrella.’ Look instead for ways you can collect, as
in a spiritual cistern, these showers for times when you can draw upon them
as needed. Times when love, blessing, and prayer bring seasons refreshing
to your soul, or to another’s.
Jesus, also, prayed for the “cup to pass,” but accepted
God’s will.
He exemplified His teachings (Mt. 5:44) and, in
so doing, brought salvation to the world.
November 19, 2006
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