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Jun 24
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Fresh Rain in Ministry Elements
Rain to me is incredibly refreshing. One of my favorite things in life is to take a walk in the rain. Having lived in the Midwest, now in Texas, I have come to appreciate the rain we would get in Seattle. It is a gentle rain, not a violent pounding such as the rain in the Midwest. When I walk I don’t wear a raincoat or carry an umbrella, I just let the rain fall on me cool and steady.
My wife used to think I was clinically insane when she would walk into our kitchen and see me just standing my backyard starring at the trees completely soaked. The gentle drops rolling down my face. Megan was born and raised in the Northwest and has become accustomed to this life giving and healing process of rain. I had spent the last 5 years void of any spiritual refreshment and my soul was parched from the wilderness journey I was in.
In the book of Joel the prophet describes a devastating time in the people of Israel’s lives.
An enormous plague of locusts had eroded the countryside of all vegetation, destroyed the pastures of animals and even stripped the bark off the fig trees. In only a few hours what was once a beautiful and thriving land had become a place of desolation and destruction. The crops were lost and the seed crops for the next year were destroyed. A famine and drought had seized the entire land. The people were dying. It was so profound that there could only be one explanation; it was the judgment of God. This was a period where the rain ceased to fall upon the land.
2 Hear this, you leaders of the people! Everyone listen! In all your history, has anything like this ever happened before? 3 Tell your children about it in the years to come. Pass the awful story down from generation to generation. 4 After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left! After them came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too! 5 Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! All the grapes are ruined, and all your new wine is gone! 6 A vast army of locusts has invaded my land. It is a terrible army, too numerous to count! Its teeth are as sharp as the teeth of lions! 7 They have destroyed my grapevines and fig trees, stripping their bark and leaving the branches white and bare. Joel 1:5-7 NLT
There was a period in my life were I was living in a dry state of mind allowing the locust to consume my crops or harvest (spiritual life) In Joel you notice that the locust have devoured the crops and caused famine in the people which are on the verge of utter chaos and destruction. Not only were there fields stripped and barren but also the people were parched and void of the sprit (rain) that was so desperately need to sustain life.
There were many times during this period of my life that I would want God to restore me and bring me back to life. I desperately wanted to God to save me from the nothing I had become. I didn’t fully understand that I was operating under the Grace of God because I had become consumed, stripped of the spirit to the core. All I saw in the natural was the chaos and devastation around me. I had nothing, it was only then that I realized that God was not there “when I wanted Him”, but was always there when I needed him to be. I began to see spouts of life amongst the barren fields of my soul. I began to see the protection from the locusts (decisions) I had made.
Surely the LORD has done great things! 21 Don’t be afraid, my people! Be glad now and rejoice because the LORD has done great things. 22 Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field! The pastures will soon be green. The trees will again be filled with luscious fruit; fig trees and grapevines will flourish once more. 23 Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the LORD your God! For the rains he sends are an expression of his grace. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring.
NLT Joel 2:20-23
Sometimes He has no choice but to destroy the crops, weeds, carnal desires, habits or natural thoughts that we have allowed to develop in our lives. We really do serve a God of restoration not destruction. We just need to let Him prepare the soil so that is ready for the rain. In verse 23 it says: for the rain he sends are an expression of His grace. When the rain (spirit) comes it will give new life. Not only will the rain produce new life but it will cause restoration in the fields or soil containing the seeds that were planted already
Many times the Lord is painted with a broad brush of being destructive. I think that we take many of the stories out of context. We may only remember the first part of a chapter that describes God destroying or breaking down his people or enemies. He will restore all that has been stripped by the enemy only when we return to the place of repentance. It is only when we come to a point of understanding and repentance that our souls are prepared to handle the new life that God is about to prepare or plant.
Once my wife started to understand that I was soaking in the refreshment of the rain and not avoiding it as a nuisance because to me it was healing, only then did Megan hide the straight jacket. I was beginning to find redemption and could physically feel the grace He was pouring out on my life. I could feel in my spirit the clouds rolling in and the grace of God opening up and falling upon my face. I needed to be stripped and consumed to the core so that a new harvest could be cultivated and harvested. I began to realize that God was preparing my soul for the upcoming season.
28 “Then after I have poured out my rains again, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions. 29 In those days, I will pour out my Spirit even on servants, men and women alike. NLT Joel 2:28-29
One day I came home and walked into the kitchen, looked out the window and saw her standing in the rain. She was cold and soaking wet and as she looked at me in the window she gave me a thumbs up as to say “Ok, I get it now”. Today when the drizzle of winter falls you will often see a family of five walking and talking as if it were a 80 degree sunny California day. We have learned to soak in all the grace we can.
I continue to pray that the Lord will help me to soak in all of the spirit He’s pours out on me. So you may think I still need some medication but I challenge you to read through Joel and take a walk in the rain.
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