Romans 10:17(NKJV)
“So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Have you ever been outside on a bright sunny day and suddenly the sky clouds up and a rainstorm begins completely soaking you? How about being stuck inside for days because it won’t stop raining? Maybe every time you plan something outdoors it rains, ruining what you wanted to do?
Pretty much no matter where you live, there will be periods of rainy weather. Most people don’t like being out during a storm because unless you are doing a planned water event, it is not so nice being soaked to the bone. We may even feel a wave of different emotions ranging from anger to depression.
Sometimes it’s amazing that a little thing like some moisture falling from the sky can affect us so much. It can even just be the lack of sunlight that can quickly turn our smile to a frown. You may notice that there seems to be a lot of sad people walking around during the shorter grayer days of winter.
When spring rolls around and everything begins to come back to life, we are reminded of the old cliche, “April showers bring May flowers.” Now I do love the sunshine and I am not as perky when the gray skies and rain come, but I grew up living with an Army cliche, “If it ain’t raining, we ain’t training.”
It was not always true, but it did seem like we got our share of wet weather whenever we were training in the military. You get to the point where it really does not bother you as much anymore, but I can still get cranky sometimes. The point is that rain happens and there is nothing that we can do about it unless we invent our own weather machine.
As the world comes back to life or when seeds are planted on a farm or in a garden, we need the moisture for anything to properly grow. From history or from the news we can see what happens when a drought occurs. Everything dries up and dies. Conversely we also see what happens with too much water. dirt and plants can be washed away, or plants can die from disease and decay. It is a delicate balance.
We could spend a lot of time discussing the origins of our earth, but it is difficult to ignore that there is not some type of master engineer at work. Seeing how everything fits together in such a precarious way, I can say that I believe that God is the creator of the universe. Not just what we see in the world, but the intricate design of us humans as well.
Everyone, no matter who you are, starts out as a child and then grows into an adult. Our natural life does mirror our spiritual life. As new believers we start out as a child, but over time we should grow into a more mature Christian. The seeds of faith that are planted should grow if properly attended to. However, this does not always happen.
There is no real owner’s manual for parents or no perfect how-to book for growing up. Mostly we try to seek guidance from others or get experience through trial and error. It’s not much different when we go seeking advice on maturing as a Christian. There is no comprehensive guide, except for the Bible, but we have to read it, study it, and live it.
Whether you are searching for answers or have given your life to Christ already, any seeds that are planted need to be watered. Our faith will not grow properly if we do not. Just as plants can be under or over watered, so can our spiritual growth.
In Galatians 6:8 we find a warning about what we first sow, “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” If the seeds are watered with our old life and beliefs, then they will not grow in a Christian manner.
I know that I want to choose everlasting life and we can grow the seeds of faith by listening to the opening scripture, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Hearing the word of God. This can only be found in the Bible which as we know all scripture is God breathed.
In Jeremiah 15:16 we find it put a slightly different way, “Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.” By taking in what we find, we can find joy and rejoicing in our hearts. I know I want to feel what this is describing.
I have heard people say that they devoured every word they read. I know that I have at times in my life where couldn’t get enough of what the Bible is saying. I could even randomly open the pages to the perfect verse that I needed to hear. It was like water was coming down upon me and washing away everything that the world was covering me in.
Isaiah 55:10 connects the two worlds for us, “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater.” Whether its God’s rain falling on us or the rain falling on the earth it is bringing forth new life.
The next time the rain is falling, remember what it brings. LIFE. Everything that died in winter comes back to life during those spring showers. Rejoice and thank God for sending it. Then ask Him to open your heart to the rain we find in scripture and to let it blossom into a harvest that is so abundant that everyone will know that we are a follower of Christ.
GOD’S WORD YOU MUST SOW
I see the dark clouds gathering and soon the rain starts coming down,
Without the warm rays of sunlight my face wants to wear a frown.
A sunny happy feeling a single cloud can begin to quell,
Dreary days with rain storms will dampen my mood as well.
Even though the patter of raindrops may have a soothing beat,
Being wet and soggy can feel more like a crushing defeat.
Lord, I know that whenever the rain is falling it will eventually stop,
But how do I look past those dark days so my mood won’t drop.
Dear child, you already know that everything I created has a reason,
As the Earth revolves around the Sun it brings a different season.
During the winter many people see only darkness and the gloom,
Then in spring things come alive and everything begins to bloom.
So don’t look at the rain as something you have to dread,
It brings growth that is needed like my word that should be read
We need the rain to nourish all the seeds that are planted to grow,
And if you want a personal harvest into your heart God’s word you must sow.
Simple Faith Christian
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