Daily devotion – early and latter rain
The winter rains continue to hold off as our long dry summer weather pattern rolls on. Our farmers are enduring drought conditions and in addition political pressures are weighing heavy upon them, with the live sheep exports ceasing. All these are causing great anxiety and heartache on those who work our land and provide so much for us a nation.
As we read through the Bible, we find that the blessing of rain at the appropriate times for crops, feed for animals, was very much how God revealed His pleasure or judgment on His people Israel and the land He gave them.
Let us not forget that is the Lord who ultimately brings the necessary rains at the right times for our crops and livestock to either be booming or withering.
So too in our own lives, all the gifts and blessings we receive come from our Father in Heaven – Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Ecc 3:13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
This last Wednesday night of prayer we celebrated God answering prayers for those who had been facing possible job loss but now have been provided the blessing of ongoing employment.
In addition, others who had suffered recent trauma with considerable damage and loss, last night revealed that the last few days of their life have been the most blessed they had ever experienced!
Our Lord watches over us and He promises to be with us and meet our every need.
Each week as we come together to worship and praise our Lord, we can always come before Him thankful and confident that He will bring the blessings we need in due time.
But as a nation, if we continue to neglect and turn our backs on God, He too will hold back the needed rains and bring leanness to our lands and our souls.
Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Let us pray for our nation and repent before our Lord so that the blessing of rain may fall upon our dry and thirsty land and our lives!