What if rain means . . .

What does a cloudy, rainy day mean to you? Overcast, dark, threatening skies, humidity, frizzy hair. What mental/emotional state does it put you in? . . . If your answer is “not good” then you have a lot of company. Psychology researchers have established a link between rainy overcast days and feeling down. However, that kind of gloom is a fairly modern invention (since we’ve been able to stay inside and not have to work the land for food). Now, LET’S REFRAME it. In the Bible rain is almost always a sign of blessing from God. (Lev 26:4, 2 Chron 7:13, Amos 4:7, Hosea 10:12, Isaiah 45:8, 55:10, Jer 5:24, 14:22, Job 5:10, Joel 2:23, Matt 5:45, Acts 14:17, James 5:17-18, etc.) Why? In the ancient world, rain means food. No rain, means starvation. People were constantly looking to the skies.

So what if rain means … blessing, food, the favor of God? What if, instead of seeing our frizzy hair and a threatening sky, we saw the promise of what would come next? Look past the moment – understand that THE HARVEST IS WORTH ALL THE GLOOMY DAYS THAT IT TAKES. What if the clouds, turmoil, storm and mud that our nation and your family is going through right now is just the necessary precursor to the harvest that God wants to bring? Then it’s time to ask the “Lord of the harvest to send out workers” (Matt 9:38). It’s time to be ready to be sent to invite people into God’s kingdom.

A Picture Speaks . . .

I immediately felt crazy. I stood there bewildered, he was bewildered, and there was no relief. I felt like God had given me a picture of an easel in the middle of a room. So I shared it, but then God gave me zero spiritual insight as to what it meant, so I didn’t make it up, I just went silent . . . 2 YEARS went by, not hours, days, weeks, nope . . . 2 YEARS!

I had forgotten about it, I hoped he had too. But I saw him again, and he said, “you know that picture of the easel you gave me.” “Nope, don’t remember.” So he reminded me, and then added, “We didn’t know what house to buy that week, but the one house had an easel in the center of the room, so we bought it, it was awesome!Wow! Praise God!

PICTURES is one of the primary ways God speaks in the Bible. In fact, in the prophets, visions and dreams are used by God just as much as words. Check this out . . .

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:9)

So, a picture speaks . . . a thousand words, or in God’s hands, a multitude of words! What if God wants to speak to you through pictures today? Take a minute right now and ask God for a picture.