Romans 5:1-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
As children, we often sang the little ditty, "Rain, rain, go away; come again another day." The next time it rained, we sang the song all over again. We never wanted it to rain. It interfered too much in our lives and what we wanted to do. We had no idea of how important the rain was, but we realized its value as we matured in our thinking. Nothing would grow without it.
It is the same in our spiritual lives. We want to avoid the "rain" because it doesn't fit into our plans and is often painful, but we need the "rain" to grow. Just as God sends the right amount of rain to make the crops grow, He send the right amount of "rain" into our lives. is is never more than what is needed to bring the desired growth.
"Rain" can change us, depending on our attitude towards it. If we rebel against it, it can make us bitter, though this is not God's intention when He sends the "rain." God has poured His love into our lives (Romans 5:5), so any suffering we go through is bathed in that love. He desires only our best and will produce growth as we trust His wise choices for us.
Romans 5 teaches us that "rain" produces a crop of persevearance, character and hope. We don't know what is at the end of the suffering, but we endure through it (persevearance), waiting to see what God will do, knowing that He is in control and accomplishing His plan. As we persevere, it proves that our faith is real (character) and that God will complete what He has started (hope).
The crop that is blessed by the "rain" in our lives is why we can "glory in tribulations" (Romans 5:3, NKJV). The same word in the original Greek for "glory" is translated as "rejoice" in verse 2. It is also the same word Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 12:9 when he says, "I will rather boast in my infirmities." Paul also tells the believers in Colosse that he "rejoices" in his sufferings for them (1:24).
Our trials are painful and not full of joy, but the results of those trials can bring rejoicing as we see what God has blessed us with as a result of the trial. Perhaps you have heard someone say that what they learned during a time of suffering has become precious to them or that they could not have learned a particular lesson in any other way.
Think about the "rain" in your life. What blessing did God bring as a result? Have you praised Him for what He did for you?
© 2019, Life Touching Life - Carol Bright Used by permission.