Showers that Bless

I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.  The trees will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.

Isn’t this a great promise?

There’s really nothing better in nature than when seasonal showers fall.  The ground gets a good soaking, cracks come back together, and plants get their nourishment and prepare to grow when the sun appears again.  These are showers of blessing.

That’s the kind of showers that come from the Lord. 

Not only will fruit be produced  and crops abound, when showers come, but because of the abundance – the people feel secure.  When they thirst for rain and it comes, they know the Lord has sent the rain and rescued them from certain death.

I know that it takes drought to make us thirst for the Lord.  If we are constantly in a season of growth, we tend to forget our need for Him and fill our time and thoughts with other things.  But when we thirst, he has promised to come and drench us with the rain that only he sends.

If rain is falling too hard, too fast, and flooding you to where you feel as though you’re drowning – those ARE NOT showers of blessing.  God doesn’t send anything in our lives to destroy us.

God is interested in setting us free to worship him, with our mouths open wide, our hands lifted high, receiving the steady rain that brings refreshing – those ARE showers of blessing!

Appointed Seasons

Jeremiah 8:

Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord.

This verse is super interesting to me. It talks of how birds in the sky know the seasons and they observe them, so that they know when to migrate.  Birds are migrating now, to the south, for the winter season.

The last part seems to imply that people aren’t so wise.  It seems to imply that God has appointed seasons in our lives, as well, but instead of migrating and using our God-inspired sense to move and follow his Spirit, we whine about the season we’re in or the one behind us, or the one ahead of us.

Birds survive all four seasons because they’ve learned to migrate.

If you’re starving, experiencing too much heat, caving under the wind pressure, or being beat up by torrential rains, perhaps you need to listen for His Spirit, and ask him to guide you to safety in your season…He will.  He is our rock, he covers us with his wings, he's our strong tower, and our hiding place.

And just as the birds know…spring always comes round again because the Creator set the seasons in motion... we should know it too.

See! Sing!

Song of Songs:

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.  Flowers appear on the earth;
    the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.  The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me.”

Finally.

We’ve been talking about how seasons of drought are hard, but necessary.  But in these verses the “season of singing” has finally arrived!  Winter’s over, spring has sprung, and things are growing!  Even the birds are singing!

When fruit is being produced, the fragrance of roses is filling the air, and the sound of singing birds is alive in the air, we feel like singing.

If you’re in a season of singing, then sing.  Sing loud.  Sing new lyrics.  Sing from your heart.  Write it down.  Record it.  Share it.

It’s in the season of singing when we need to store up all of those things that are flowing so freely and growing so profusely, so that we are reminded of them once winter rolls around again.  Because it will.

Every season has its purpose, one after the other.  And the Lord God sends them all.

He Prospers

Psalm 1: But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.  He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And ^[in whatever he does, he prospers.

We don’t have to lead crappy lives, full of rotten fruit, and stink up the rooms in which we live.  It doesn’t matter if our parents abandoned us, friends mistreated us, or the worst of the earth abused us, those things don’t define us or our future.

What defines us is what we  meditate on day and night.  If we believe and think on his word it will change us now, and it will change our future.   

In fact, these verses say we will be planted FIRMLY. That indicates that we will not slip back into the things that defined us in the past. 

There’s amazing power in the Word of the Lord, because it’s the same Lord who spoke and formed the heavens, created mankind, and breathed life into all of the animals. 

Whenever we live and breathe life according to His words, we can be assured that our future will be fruitful (in season – and that includes ALL FOUR).

In the heat of the summer, we won’t wither up and die.

In fact, we will prosper.

Can You?

If you haven’t read the end of the book of Job in a while, it might do you some good to do so.  I love God’s questions back at Job, when Job is talking with God about all of the things he has experienced that were the worst set of circumstances I can imagine.

As I read God’s questions to Job about his might power and rule over the heavens and the earth, I am encouraged to know that this great God, who sets in motion everything above me, beneath me, and around me, cares about everything that’s happening to me.

Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, And guide the Bear with her satellites?

 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, Or fix their rule over the earth?

Have you looked up at the night sky lately?  Just the moon, the stars, the sun, and the clouds are witness enough to the majesty and order of a God who rules the universe.  And the answer to all of God’s questions, of course, is “No, God, I can’t do even one of those things.”

We can’t direct the seasons like fall, winter, spring and summer, but He does, and he will. 

Job was in a season of despair, loss, and death.  It was a long, hard, winter. 

However, God reminds Job with his infinite wisdom of Job’s inability and God’s great ability.

We need to remind ourselves of this often, and take a look up, in order to do so.

At that Season

He said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. Then he said, “At this season next year you will embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant.” The woman conceived and bore a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had said to her.

When God says something is going to happen in a season in our lives, we can count on it happening.  He gave a promise to this woman that she would have a son in a certain season, and when that season came to pass, so did his promise.

It’s interesting to note that she was told “at this season” and then later in the verse, it says “at that season” it happened.  

I believe God wants us to know that the seasons of our lives are sure, he is in control of them, and fruit will come after the season of barrenness.

He’s calling you by name, just as he did this woman.  God wants to bless you with fruitfulness.  If you are in a season where all you see is dirt and bare branches, there is hope.  The seasons are changing.

As fall begins to show its color in the next few weeks, look for God’s faithfulness to show up as well.  He’s faithful, and he sends us seasons to remind us of this truth.

The Rainmaker

Leviticus 26

 If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out,  then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit.

Notice the phrase “rains in their season.” 

God knows when to send the rain. He’s aware of the season of drought, he knows about the pests in the garden, and he knows when the sun has been too hot and things are withering and dying.

And then…the rains come.

The rains that He sends are not rains of destruction, but rather rains in right timing so that fruit grows.  They are soaking rains, rains that wash away debris, rains that nourish and heal.

We live in a world that doesn’t follow and keep His commandments; therefore, we experience flooding, and drought that kills.  We see these kinds of disasters frequently on the news.

But when we walk with Him, the rains come at the right time, the drought we go through is only there to make us thirsty for him, and when the sun gets too hot it’s only to make us run to him for refuge. His rains come and soak us, refresh us, satisfy us,  and produce fruit.

We can trust our God – the perfect gardener of our souls.

Then God Said

Genesis 1:14

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;

God set into place the seasons – the times of change.  It was part of the process of creation.

In my daily life, I love the season changes.  I’m usually tired of one season about the time the next one rolls around.  And there are parts of each season that I love…and I hate.  For example, here in Central Texas I hate the hot summer heat.  But that makes the cool breezes of fall that much more spectacular.

In my spiritual life, I think I favor a steady season of blessings and joy, don’t you?  However, there are also changes there that ebb and flow, all part of the process of maturation.  I experience lack, in order that trust is perfected, and blessings flow again.

God is with us in every season.  He’s with us when all is green and growing, and he’s with us when all is barren and cold.  But just like in creation, he set the seasons in motion, so he sets our seasons in motion.

He’s always perfecting that which is old, in favor of that which is new, and changing us over and over again until that final season…

When we shall be like him and that which was unclear becomes clear.

Are you in a season you don’t care for?  Take hope.  God said.

Rescue & Honor

The last of Psalm 91:

“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.  “With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation.”

Have you ever been in a situation of fear or disaster, or just a small calamity, and you called and called for someone to help – but no one was available?  I suppose nowadays that happens rarely, since we all have cell phones.  But even cell phones don’t have service, in the most remote of places.

God will always answer us when we call, he will be with us in troubled times, and he will rescue us – and honor us.

I love that!  He doesn’t just come swoop us up and drop us on a branch somewhere and leave us to find our way down the tree.  He rescues us and honors us.

Being rescued is great.   If a kid falls in a well and is rescued, that’s amazing.  If a soldier is in the middle of battle and a helicopter rescues him, that’s awesome. 

But what happens after the rescue is what heals, what satisfies, and what sustains.

God is with us AFTER the rescue, to establish us and satisfy our needs and show us his salvation – his restorative power and grace.

Call up on God.  Listen for his answer.  Feel his presence near you.  Look up for the rescue.  Experience his honor and the satisfaction of his complete love.  And see his salvation for you and yours…

Secure

“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name."

Isn’t this an awesome verse of protection and love from our Father?

All he requires from us is that we love him.  When we love him, we will trust in him.  And when we trust in him, he protects and covers us.  And in that protection we experience deliverance.

But he doesn’t just deliver us from evil.  He sets us in a SECURE place on high.  He brings us up to soar with him, to see things from his perspective.

Why?  Because we know his name.

The Lord Almighty

The Prince of Peace

The King of Kings

The Great I Am

Do you know him? Do you love him? You can.  It’s easy.  Just place your trust in Him.

Tread & Trample

Psalm 91 cont’d: You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

Interesting to note here that the first part of the verse says the lion and the cobra – and the second part mentions the “young” lion and the serpent.

The first two are vicious – deadly and venomous.  The second two might be enticing to play with – because they look harmless and tamed.

Both sets of these creatures mentioned are dangerous, and we are told that we will tread and trample on both.

There will be times when we are viciously attacked, but because of His protection and strength we will run right over our attackers.  And there will be times when we are teased by that which appears to be innocent but is really dangerous, and God will enable us to cut that off too – before it matures and becomes venomous and deadly.

God gives us wisdom and discernment, if we just ask.  And we don’t have to be attacked over and over again, before we rise up and trample.  He can give us eyes to see and hearts to recognize evil before it even raises its ugly head.

You can stand tall over all of those things that attack you.  Why?  Because you are under his wing of protection and guarded by his fierce love.

No Evil...

Psalm 91 cont’d:

No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent.  For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.

I’ve read this passage many times and even wondered why I personally had to suffer through being robbed in our house more than once.  To me, that was evil.  And in my eyes, this was a “plague” that came to my house.  So I saw that time as a time where God wasn’t protecting me.  If he was, why did he let the thief in the house?

Being robbed was horrible, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.  It was a feeling of violation, and fear set in, afterwards.

However, evil itself – the turning away of my faith in God – didn’t touch me.  The “plague” of despair and fear could have lingered in my home, but it left because God has restored all that was taken from me.  God has led us from that house, from those memories, into a place of peace and refuge.  He guarded us from losing hope during that time, and lifted us up in hands and carried us over the years to a better place.

And he did all of this without us even striking our foot against a stone – and getting a bruise.

God’s care and concern and provision is not only complete and restorative – it’s gentle and sweet.

Trust in Him.  He is trustworthy.

1000 or 10000

Psalm 91 cont’d:

A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked.   For you have made the Lord, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place.

We are at war.  We live in a world where we war against things every day, like thoughts, fear, worry, disease, loss, etc.  But all of those things that come at us cannot hinder or bruise our souls. 

These verses are referring to those who choose evil and not God’s ways.  Those are the ones who will fall, who will receive just recompense for their evil works.  It’s a given that if we follow evil, we will suffer death.

However, that fall, that reward of the wicked, that devastation of loss and destruction will not even approach you when you make the Lord your refuge – THE MOST HIGH – your dwelling place.

Remember back in the beginning of the chapter we talked about what it means to dwell somewhere?  It means to stay, to take up residence.

Wavering in an out of God’s covering isn’t peaceful.  In fact, it’s downright dangerous. But staying under the protection of his word brings about peace – a refuge.  Even if…thousands are falling around us.

Do Not Be

Psalm 91 cont’d: You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day;  Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

Let’s look at these two verses, literally.

What terrifies you at night?  Thoughts? Fear? The future? 

What arrows fly at you during the day? Ones that attack your self-worth? Discouragement? Depression?  Despair?

What pestilence stalks you in the darkness? Fear of falling? Abandonment?

And what lays you waste at noon?  Weariness? Hunger? Disillusionment?

These verses cover it all.  Whatever poses a threat to you during the course of any given day or night is NOT something that should cause you fear.  In fact, these verses start out with “You will not be afraid…”

If that’s a promise given in his word, then it’s a promise we can grab hold to. 

Don’t be afraid.  There’s no reason to fear because you are under his wings.

It is He

Psalm 91 cont’d: For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

This entire chapter uses such cool words of protection, and these two verse are full: delivers, cover you, under his wings, refuge, faithfulness, shield, bulwark.

Did you know that we all get “trapped” and we all suffer “pestilence?”  In fact, because our bodies are flesh we are susceptible to death.  However, we know that he has already delivered us from that biggest trap of all! 

But while here on this earth, we have his promise to be covered with his pinions. Pinions are the outer part of a bird’s wings, including the flight feathers.  So that means, even when God is on the move, we’re right there underneath his wings, being protected and carried to awesome places.

A bulwark is an extension of a ship’s wall above the level of the deck, and we know what a shield is.  When we are in a storm, he is our safe place, he is faithful, and he protects us from the threatening waters that make us afraid.

We serve a God that is SO creative in the ways that he protects and cares for us that there is no place we can go where he is not there with us.

Find comfort in that truth, today.

Say It

Psalm 91 is a favorite chapter of mine.  Let’s go through it together over the next several days:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”

Look at the two words “dwell” and “abide.”  These both signify staying somewhere for an extended period of time.  The verse doesn’t say "he who visits and sits a while."  There’s a huge difference.

We must choose to take up residence with the Lord wherever he leads us.  In other words, we live and move and find our safety and security in His “shelter” – which is his word.

So if we choose to stay in his shelter, then we will abide in his shadow.  When he moves we will move.  When it rains, we are covered.  When the heat is on, we have shade.

So if you’re feeling a bit shaky, or like you’re standing in the rain, or the heat of the day, say out loud to the Lord that it is in his presence that you find refuge and a fortress.

Place your trust in Him.  Walk under his shadow and stay there. 

What a beautiful picture of rest…

Comfort

II Corinthians 7:

 … we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

Here, this writer is expressing the worst of the worst – being hit from all sides – and reacting in fear.  Isn’t that the worst?  Not only were circumstances bad, but every path he tried to take was difficult, and he was afraid. 

However, the one who “comforts the downcast” sent someone to lift up this downcast man.

The one who came to him (Titus) had been comforted and therefore was able to offer comfort.  He conveyed love, care, and the empathy of others for this man in need.

And the downcast man’s reaction was one of great joy.

The best kind of comfort a friend can give is to share the comfort they have received.  We don’t need a pointing finger, or advice, or even a list of scriptures, when we’re being harassed.

The love and care of a friend who understands when to be quiet and listen, when to offer a hug, or when to just love us and let us be,starts the healing process of comfort.

And once we have been comforted, the joy returns, greater than it was when it left.

Pretty cool…

Faces Downcast

Luke 24:

He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

These verses are referring to the time when Jesus appeared+after his resurrection, and because of their sadness, the men to whom he appeared did not recognize him. 

Jesus asks the guys what it is that they’re talking about, and they are so downcast, they just answer without really looking at Jesus.  In fact, they assume that Jesus must have been living in a cave, if he had not heard the news that the promised Messiah was dead.

There are times when we totally feel like God is unaware of our circumstances.  But God sees that we are totally unaware of his presence.

Had the guys looked up and gazed in Jesus’ face, I believe they would have realized who it was that was walking beside them, in the middle of their grief.  In fact, the reason for the grief no longer existed – Jesus was very much alive!

Walking with a downcast spirit enables us to only see what’s “down there” beneath us – brown dirt and dirty feet – from all of our walking along feeling alone. 

We have to choose to look up and gaze in his face, realize that He has never left us alone and will never leave us alone, and then we can experience his presence.

How do we actually do this?

When news travels to our ears and homes that turns us on a downward path, we need to make sure we’re walking alongside someone that’s looking at the face of Jesus, seeing him present in the darkest of times.

Jesus appeared to these men in their darkest, most hopeless moment, with the news that He was alive and well.

Knowing that Jesus is with us, that he is certainly aware of whatever news we’ve just heard, is comforting.  But not only is he with us, he is present with all of his glory and power that raised him from the dead, and he is able to lift us up.

What are you talking about today?  Do you realize He's there?