Rain and Obedience

13So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. 15I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. (Dt. 11)

23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts;

they have turned aside and gone away.

24They do not say to themselves,

‘Let us fear the Lord our God,

who gives autumn and spring rains in season,

who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’

25Your wrongdoings have kept these away;

your sins have deprived you of good. (Jeremiah 5)

Thoughts: Rain is important.  Without it there is no water or cleansing, fruitfulness or satisfaction.  Scripture ties obedience and belief to rain.  Similarly Jeremiah ties drought and withholding of blessing to disobedience or rebellion against God.
     Last year I put out rye grass seed in September, but there was a drought, and the grass did not grow.  This year I put out the rye grass in September with an eye toward the rain forecast.   The rye grass is exploding.
       We need God's blessing to make the seeds we scatter fruitful.  Apart from Him we can do nothing.  But with Him we may bear fruit and abundance for Him.  James 5 notes that Elijah both opened and closed the heavens when God told him to do so.  1 Sam. 18 records how Samuel prayed and it started thunder and lightning.  In Canaan the Philistines and Canaanites wanted everyone to believe Baal was in charge of the rain.  But God is God of all.  The rain and the drought are his- the water and the sand are his making.    

Prayer: Lord, may I see the rain as a sign of your blessing.  But when there are floods, may I be reminded of how much I need you to also withhold your blessing from Me.