Blessed

I have always loved rain. Whether it comes in the form of a soft, calm rain; a hard, heavy rain; or a drenching downpour--I just love rain. But I have to tell you that the rain I love most is a downright tumultuous storm. There's something special in the beauty of swaying trees with leaves hanging on for dear life, lightning astonishing us as it finds its next target, rain seemingly falling sideways, puddles forming wherever they can find uneven ground, and (aah!) the sounds of thunder rolling and booming majesticallly. And I have this notion, whether true or utterly ridiculous, that it's raining in the spirit when it rains in the natural.

I remember praying for rain many times last summer because we were in the midst of what turned out to be quite a long drought. I knew God wasn't going to let everything die because that would pretty much be the end of us as well, but I did desire water for the parched trees and plants. When the rain finally came, other rain-lovers and I were not the only ones who welcomed it. There was much gratitude and rejoicing by everyone!

This morning as I drove to school, I began to thank God for all the rain we've had over the past week. (For those of you who are not near, it has rained everyday for the past several days.) Then I began to feel a little guilty about being thankful for rain when so many lives have been damaged or lost due to the tropical storm that started all this. So I continued to thank God for "our" rain, but I prayed for the people who have been hurt by it.

It is far too easy to go through life stuck in our own little worlds, temporarily blinded to the fact that others have pain too. I have been caught up in a trial lately, and I'm not saying it hasn't been difficult. But God is bigger. In fact, as my young son would say, "God is huger." Why do I magnify the trials when Psalm 34:3 says "O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together"? The LORD the psalmist spoke of is THE self Existent or eternal; Jehovah. How can I account for taking my eyes off this IMMENSE LORD of mine when I know how big and wonderful and awesome He is? I want to be able to welcome storms in the spirit as much as I welcome natural storms, knowing that God will not abandon me, but instead will carry me through and strengthen me in the midst of them. I want this for you as well. Blessings to you!

Father, please help us to remember that You are our mighty God and that when You come, You come in power. We don't have to worry about the trials and situations in our lives as long as we keep our focus on You. Forgive me, Lord, for being so blinded by this trial that I haven't been able to see how powerful and awesome You are and how victorious I am in You. Teach us, Lord, and let Your Holy Spirit bring it to our remembrance when a storm hits. Help us to remember that, as Your children, we don't have to stand for those things the enemy throws at us. Let our shields of faith be brought forth, LORD, so that the fiery darts of the enemy will be quenched! Help us to build our armor up, Father, so that nothing can defeat us or cause us to feel defeated. Thank You, Mighty God. Hallelujah! In Jesus' name, Amen.