Rain Bringer

(You can listen to the audio commentary by double clicking herehttp://hometown.aol.com/traqair/Todaysdev.mp3 )

 

Jeremiah 14:19-22

 

Have you rejected Judah completely? Do you despise Zion? Why have you afflicted us so that we cannot be healed?

We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there is only terror.

O LORD, we acknowledge our wickedness and the guilt of our fathers; we have indeed sinned against you.

For the sake of your name do not despise us; do not dishonor your glorious throne. Remember your covenant with us  and do not break it.

Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, O LORD our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.

 

1 Timothy 1:8-14

 

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers-and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

 

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

 

Jeremiah 14:22 Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, O LORD our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.

 

This morning in Knoxville, the skies are bursting with rain and lightning strikes are taking place all around us. We're on a severe storm weather watch, which means that most people in the area will drive carefully or stay indoors until the storms pass over us. Every April, we get this heavy rain, which soaks the entire valley. It's amazing to experience and rather daunting at times, but it brings a lot of good to the land around us.

 

I can remember my mom thanking God for heavy rains. She constantly reminded me that if it wasn't for this kind of rain,  then the sewers would quickly become breeding grounds for all kinds of plagues and diseases. She grew up in a time when bad sewers caused young people and children to get seriously sick and die, including her oldest sister Mary. I think because her family went through that sad experience, my mom never forgot to take the rain or the local utilities for granted. And on days like today, when I'm driving through flooded lanes on the interstate, I continue to thank God for His work in sending these much-needed rains.

 

In Jeremiah's time, his city of Jerusalem was under siege, so rain was very important to the inhabitants to cleanse the streets and provide refreshing water for the community. In the midst of famine and drought, some of the people superstitiously turned to other gods and idols to save them. Jeremiah's prophecies and words reminded them Who was the actual source of all their blessings, and Who was the sustainer of their lives. Even today, in places like Africa, Christians are truly thankful for what the rain brings. It isn't a nuisance or a burden, an inconvenience or a problem. It's a blessing and that's something we should all remember.

 

So, wherever we are today, let's not forget to thank God for the blessing of the rain. Without it, our community could not survive.

 

Prayer:  Lord God, You are the Rain bringer and the Storm maker, the Sustainer of our lives and the Creator of the seasons. We thank You for the blessing of the rains, the enriching of the soil, and the cleansing of our communities. Help us to see Your goodness in all that these rains bring, and keep us from taking Your gifts for granted. In Jesus' Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.