Tuesday 17 September 2019

Rain

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater.            Isa.55.10


Today it is raining for the first time in quite a while. We have been desperate for rain for several months, and are relieved with today’s fall. Sadly, this is not the case in many other parts of the continent. As an illustration, I quote the Central West of New South Wales where the drought situation has been of serious concern, not just for weeks, but for years. The green of the land is no more, it has been replaced by brown and sometimes black earth. Cattle are dying for lack of water and lack of food from unwatered crops, which are simply not coming to harvest.

I am reminded just how important rain is to survival. It cannot be replaced, and life cannot be sustained without it. And so, the words from Isaiah find fulfilment in present day Australia through the very real conditions that we are experiencing. 

In the New Testament Gospels, Jesus often spoke and taught in parables. These were recognisable stories based on everyday life, but which had a deeper spiritual meaning that was not patently obvious. As Israel and Judah were predominantly agrarian societies, the parables often drew examples from farming life.

Today such examples would not readily be understood as well as they were in the distant times of yore. Yet the present instance of drought and a desperate need for rain connects me with the situation of a bygone age. I am mindful – and prayerful – of the need for both physical and spiritual rain.



Mighty God,
With today’s rain I am remimded of how vital rain is for survival. This applies to the reality of daily living, but it also has a deeper spiritual connection.
I pray You will cause rain, both physical and spiritual to fall, and bring new growth in the country and spiritual impact in society.   Amen.


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