Rain can have a bad reputation. As a child we learn the rhyme, ‘Rain, rain, go away! Come again another day.’ As we get older we declare, ‘When it rains it pours!’
We do, however, ooh and ahh at some effects of rain. We enjoy the beauty of a rainbow, the colorful blossoms of flowers, the rippling of a stream, and the refreshment of clean water. So, maybe we’re okay with rain, but we don’t always desire a downpour!
Sometimes situations in our lives feel like that, though, don’t they? Sometimes we can see the rain clouds gradually enter our personal life; other times the rain seems to pop up out of the blue. Either of those situations can get us discouraged. But, we need that rain in our life, literally and figuratively.
Can you recall a time in your life when it felt like the sun wasn’t shining and the rain was falling and you weren’t seeing evidence of positive growth? Spiritually speaking, God assures us that he is at work within us, growing us. We can be “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6 NIV, letter C in Keep on Track). As we submit our will to God’s, allowing him to direct our thoughts and actions, he grows us in his love and in his ways.
Enduring challenges, while learning lessons through them, can take purposeful patience as we ask God’s hand to be upon us. Our suffering in hard times, especially because of our faith, develops in us perseverance to carry on in the light of God’s truths. Doing so continues our sanctification by the Holy Spirit, growing us in godliness. Romans 5:3-4 encourages us that we can “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (ESV). Surrender to God, through Jesus, excites the hope of eternity with our Savior and Lord.
Our loving God is capable of handling our challenges. As we bring our needs to him and leave our burdens with him, he will give us his peace. Letting go, though, can be its own challenge for us with our limited vision, our immediate timeframe, and our tangible efforts.
But God… He knows the past, present, and future. He sees the spiritual, not just the flesh. His timing is perfect and outside of ours. He works in ways we cannot see. And, he tells us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9a ESV).
So even when the rain is falling, we can let the light of Jesus shine!
Day by day, you can grow in God’s ways as you work through a Heart Training book.
Are you looking for a gift that will have a lasting impact? Give someone a Heart Training book!