Rain cycle of blessing

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God - 2 Corinthians 9:10,11

I love stories of financial needs being met, to the dollar and in the nick of time. The lives of Christian adventurers—like foreign and home missionaries—are full of accounts of specific sums of money prayed for and supplied, not a moment too soon or too late, often through unsolicited donations received as cheques in the mail or found in an envelope at the door.

Not only is the recipient blessed through these events. The giver us most surely blessed too when they discover that the money amount they felt impressed to tuck into an envelope was the exact sum that the person needed and for which she was praying.

Paul is referring to this cycle of generosity when he prays blessing and multiplication on the sower's seed. That physical multiplication can morph to "… increase the fruits if your righteousness" as they bless others with this increase.

This results in thanksgiving. Paul expresses it as "thanksgiving through us to God," that is, through the person receiving the gift. But I would suggest it also becomes thanksgiving to God through the giver, as they realize they are part of this divine "rain cycle" of blessing.

On this Canadian Thanksgiving Monday, whether we are recipients or givers of generosity, let's give thanks!

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for connecting us to others' needs and them to ours, by Your Holy Spirit. Help us to bring our needs to You and open ourselves—our homes and wallets—in generosity when we are moved by the needs of others. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Let it rain!

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Deuteronomy 11:1-17

TO CHEW ON: "And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil." Dueteronomy 11:13-14

Moses paints a picture of rain-blessed hills, valleys, and fields producing grain, olives, and grapes as a consequence of obeying and serving God. The patter of all that rain sent me on a little hunt through the Bible to see what else it says about rain. Here are some of my discoveries:

1. In numerous places Bible writers acknowledge rain as God's idea and creation (e.g. Amos 5:8).

2. It is usually viewed as a blessing (Psalm 65:10) which falls on us whether or not we are deserving (Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:17).

3. But God also uses rain as a judgment.

• Sometimes the judgment is too much rain as at the flood, where all humanity but Noah and his family were destroyed (Genesis 7:12, 23).

• More often the judgment is too little rain, as in the case of a three-year famine when Ahab was king (1 Kings 18:1).   

4. Thus it's no surprise that various Bible writers warn that living a life that displeases God will lead to a lack of rain. That's what Solomon  did in his temple dedication prayer in 2 Chronicles 6:26-27. And that's also what Moses does in today's Deuteronomy reading.  "Love God, serve Him with all your heart, and He will bless you with an open heaven," he says. "Or turn away from Him to other gods, and the heavens will be shut."

In fact, God's open heaven in regard to rain isn't limited to physical rain. Isaiah 55:10-11 likens the effectiveness of God's Word freely spread to the effectiveness of rain. Just as rain accomplishes its purpose when it waters the earth, growing our crops and nourishing our bodies, so God's word accomplishes the nourishing of spirits wherever it goes.

And Joel, after predicting a time when people will see "the former and latter rains," culminates his prophecy with the description of God pouring out His Spirit on all flesh (Joel 2:23, 28).

I want to be under that open heaven. I say, let it rain!

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for rain. Help me to take seriously the admonition to live for You with all that is in me. I want to live under Your open heaven. Amen.

MORE: "Healing Rain" - Michael W. Smith