On Raining and Reigning

Sometimes I find a song that I really like, and it fits my mood, and I just put it on "repeat" so I can hear it over and over...until it's permanently in my heart and memory. (And until my mood changes, at which point I find a different song to play and replay and replay.... and this great cycle of tune obsession continues...)

The song repeating tonight is "Rain Down" by David Crowder Band (video at the end of this post). I love its sound AND its message. And it has caused me to think tonight about RAIN.

Living here in Washington will make a person accustomed to RAIN, whether he wants to grow accustomed to it or not. I personally LIKE rain very much, and I find myself enjoying it way more often than complaining about it. Growing up in South Texas, we would have the most incredible downpours and lightning storms, especially in the summer time. I remember those stifling hot days and how REFRESHING the rain would be when it would come in the evening. I remember several times when I would just go out purposely into the rain and get DRENCHED in its cool wetness.

One of my best childhood memories is of a summer night when the sun was setting, and a storm came--and some of us kids just ran around in it and literally went a little wild--laughing and running and yelling out, attempting to out-sound the thunder. It was pouring, and it felt so good! It was rejuvenating and invigorating. It was a welcome contrast to the stagnant air we had breathed all day, and the dry, dusty Texas heat. The rain was fragrant. And after being in it for awhile, I remember feeling so clean and sleeping so well.

Tonight I was enjoying the damp mist in the air outside. And as I listened to this song, I thought of that summer night in Texas- and of several other times, even in Alaska and here in Washington- when I have purposely allowed myself to get soaked by rainwater. What a grand illustration of GOD's downpouring in our lives! If we ask Him, He will DRENCH US in His limitless love, His perfect peace, His neverending grace. He WILL rain down on us! But we have to step into His "rain". And HIS REIGN. We have to purposely place ourselves in Him, get out from the umbrellas that we hide beneath. Get out of our "comfort zone"- which is really stuffy and often suffocating anyway--and do nothing but ASK HIM to rain His peace and grace on our stagnant, dusty hearts. And He always sends the rain.

In Scripture, rain is evidence of God's power, His provision, and even His judgment. He sent rain to cover the earth when it was desperately wicked. He withheld rain for three years in response to disobedience and the evil rule of King Ahab. He sent rain to prove Himself as the one TRUE God.

II Samuel 23 gives record of the last words King David spoke before he died. In verse 4, the Spirit of the LORD spoke through him, of the time coming, when Christ will reign as King over EVERYTHING. And David recognized the Kingdom that was promised him. In his dying breaths, he was looking ahead to that Kingdom. And he described it like this:
"He that rules over men will be JUST, ruling in the fear of GOD. And He will be as the LIGHT OF THE MORNING, when the sun riseth, a MORNING WITHOUT CLOUDS...like the brightness after RAIN, that brings forth the grass from the earth."

Christ's Kingdom will be like rain upon this dry, cracking, dying earth. Only it will be a REIGN never before experienced. All will be new and fresh and growing as it should. And we will be forever saturated in HIS goodness.

RAIN DOWN your love on us And RAIN DOWN your grace RAIN DOWN your love on us And RAIN DOWN your peace And COVER me