Reason #966
When it rains it pours, at least that has been the case around here for the past week or so. We have desperately prayed for rain for most of the year, and the Lord has given it to us in abundance lately. It has rained more days than it has not in the past week, and that's not normal. We're used to measly little 10 minute showers that dry up before the water hits the ground. But we're getting some serious showers right now, and what a relief. It is funny to me, however, that it would all come at the same time even though we've been asking for a really long time. I don't know why the Lord decided to bless us with showers one right after the other instead of spacing them out. Regardless of how it comes, I'm just thankful for the rain.
Our timing is not God's timing, but we certainly pray that the two would match up, don't we? We pray with this expectation that our requests will be met immediately. For some reason, we feel like waiting shouldn't be an option. Praying should produce quick results, and the results we're asking for. But sometimes we pray and well, nothing happens. We just keep waiting and praying and nothing happens. It doesn't mean nothing is ever going to happen, it's just not the right time yet. God is waiting for some reason, and so we have to trust that our prayers will be answered. That's what hope is, right? Believing that although we can't see it, although we can't figure it out, God is going to answer our prayers somehow, someway...eventually.
But what happens when God doesn't answer on our timelines? We think things like, "Well it certainly would have been nice to have this rain about a month or two ago to cool things off, you know. And seriously, a week without sunshine. I feel trapped inside, and I just want to take a walk. Plus, I'm tired of my hair looking bad due to the moisture. I'm ready for the sun to come back out and the rain to dry up. Maybe tomorrow." Yet weren't we just desperately praying and asking God for rain, for a break from the heat and sunshine? God has answered our prayers, just differently than we expected. The truth is, that's usually the case.
I don't know why the Lord didn't send us rain in the spring and summer when we needed it most. I don't know why He decided to send it now and allow it to rain days on end. But rather than worrying about when it should have come, rather than wishing the answer to our prayers away, we should say, "Thank you, Lord. Thank you for sending the rain that we asked for. Thank you for not just sending a little but for sending a lot. Thank you for taking care of us, of our land. And thank you for hearing our prayers and answering."
#966 - For the rain showers and answered prayers.
"Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness." - Joel 2:23
Our timing is not God's timing, but we certainly pray that the two would match up, don't we? We pray with this expectation that our requests will be met immediately. For some reason, we feel like waiting shouldn't be an option. Praying should produce quick results, and the results we're asking for. But sometimes we pray and well, nothing happens. We just keep waiting and praying and nothing happens. It doesn't mean nothing is ever going to happen, it's just not the right time yet. God is waiting for some reason, and so we have to trust that our prayers will be answered. That's what hope is, right? Believing that although we can't see it, although we can't figure it out, God is going to answer our prayers somehow, someway...eventually.
But what happens when God doesn't answer on our timelines? We think things like, "Well it certainly would have been nice to have this rain about a month or two ago to cool things off, you know. And seriously, a week without sunshine. I feel trapped inside, and I just want to take a walk. Plus, I'm tired of my hair looking bad due to the moisture. I'm ready for the sun to come back out and the rain to dry up. Maybe tomorrow." Yet weren't we just desperately praying and asking God for rain, for a break from the heat and sunshine? God has answered our prayers, just differently than we expected. The truth is, that's usually the case.
I don't know why the Lord didn't send us rain in the spring and summer when we needed it most. I don't know why He decided to send it now and allow it to rain days on end. But rather than worrying about when it should have come, rather than wishing the answer to our prayers away, we should say, "Thank you, Lord. Thank you for sending the rain that we asked for. Thank you for not just sending a little but for sending a lot. Thank you for taking care of us, of our land. And thank you for hearing our prayers and answering."
#966 - For the rain showers and answered prayers.
"Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness." - Joel 2:23