For He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].  (Matthew 5:45 Amplified version)  A rain on the lake behind our house brought this verse to mind. The rain was falling in a very peculiar pattern. On the left of the lake was evidence of the raindrops striking the surface of the water.  On the right side of the lake the surface was smooth and undisturbed.  To be quite honest, there have been times in my like when it felt as though I lived my life on the left side of the lake, in the rain, sometimes a full out storm. Not a fun place to be. For many years Satan deceived me into thinking that surely the problems that had come my way were deserved, some kind of punishment. Why would a God of love allow so much rain if this were not true?

 My security with my Heavenly Father was not based on His unfailing love of which I felt unworthy but instead on how I might earn this love. Unconditional love was a concept I had not grasped or been exposed to in depth in my formative years. Satan’s stronghold in my mind dealing with this matter did not let verses like the one above or this verse from John 16:33 to bring the victory in my life. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Through a multitude of situations in my life, any search for peace in my own power has fallen desperately short. The above verse holds the key when it states “so that in me you may have peace.” That peace is present despite storms if we are willing to tap into it and not allow our focus to be on the situations, on our discomfort or pain but instead on God and His love for us.

God has a plan, and often those plans include difficult times and circumstances that ultimately draw us into a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father if we allow them to, if we can avoid the pity party, the self deprecation, the selfish focus which makes life be more about “ME” than the advancement of God’s kingdom. So bring on the rain! Draw me closer to you, Lord, in the downpour. Open my heart and mind to the work you are accomplishing in my life through the storm. “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. and let perseverance be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1: 2-4)  To God Be the Glory!This song speaks so beautifully to this subject! Please click on the link below.