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Rainy Days! - April 20, 2006
"But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 31 (NLT)
Has there ever been a day in your life when the rain was pouring, but with your own two eyes you saw the sun shining brightly and there wasn't a cloud in the sky? These days seem to drag on with no end in sight. I know; I've had plenty of them before. It's rather confusing because on the outside everything appears to be striking and beautiful, but on the inside you feel the storm; you can feel the rain, and I'm pretty sure you wish you could retreat from the busy activity of the world and maybe drop off the face of the planet for a second or two. I've often heard people who suggest that when you feel this way, you should pull yourself out of it. Well, what if you can't seem to do that? I believe this represents a time when you should wait on the Lord.
If you've ever read any of the Psalms, they are loaded with songs from people who had ups and downs. One second they were up, and the next they were down. These songs consist of cries to the Lord; they contain people's fears, doubts, concerns, gnawing agitations, and a host of other anxieties that I'm sure many of us have encountered in our lives. These songs arose out of their seeming despair, however they believed that God would somehow intervene. So, given these songs, I think it's okay to feel down at times. Sometimes it gets tough to follow God with all of your heart in a world that insists on walking in the opposite direction. However, God has promised to never forsake you. And I know He doesn't seem to be very close when you're feeling down, but rest assured that He is.
So, how can we get the "Son" to shine in us as brilliantly as the "Sun" is shining outside of us?
Well, helping oneself is not the method that God has prescribed for the Christian. Our life in Christ is a life of dependency. We are like new born babies who need their parents to help them with everything. And in these times of "inner rain", let me suggest that you do as the scripture above declares, and wait on the Lord. Does that mean you should sit around and get lazy? Not by any means! You can sing, praise, read the scriptures, pray, or do whatever else the scriptures deem appropriate, but fix your purpose throughout it all on this one thing: waiting on God. Your actions, whatever they are, are worthless if your primary purpose is not to wait on the Lord. God sees us when we're down, and He desires to strengthen us and restore our joy! But, we must wait until He brings it! When God brings the promise, the clouds disappear, the rain stops, and the "Son" appears, turning our gloom into joy!
Today, wait on the Lord! You don't have to stop the rain on your own. He never disappoints those who wait for Him!
Earl is currently a doctoral student at Southern Methodist University's Richard B. Johnson Center for Economics Studies in Dallas, Texas. His wife is currently in SMU's law school These devotions simply spring out of his daily walk with the Lord. Earl can be reached at: earlshaw@gmail.com
"But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 31 (NLT)
Has there ever been a day in your life when the rain was pouring, but with your own two eyes you saw the sun shining brightly and there wasn't a cloud in the sky? These days seem to drag on with no end in sight. I know; I've had plenty of them before. It's rather confusing because on the outside everything appears to be striking and beautiful, but on the inside you feel the storm; you can feel the rain, and I'm pretty sure you wish you could retreat from the busy activity of the world and maybe drop off the face of the planet for a second or two. I've often heard people who suggest that when you feel this way, you should pull yourself out of it. Well, what if you can't seem to do that? I believe this represents a time when you should wait on the Lord.
If you've ever read any of the Psalms, they are loaded with songs from people who had ups and downs. One second they were up, and the next they were down. These songs consist of cries to the Lord; they contain people's fears, doubts, concerns, gnawing agitations, and a host of other anxieties that I'm sure many of us have encountered in our lives. These songs arose out of their seeming despair, however they believed that God would somehow intervene. So, given these songs, I think it's okay to feel down at times. Sometimes it gets tough to follow God with all of your heart in a world that insists on walking in the opposite direction. However, God has promised to never forsake you. And I know He doesn't seem to be very close when you're feeling down, but rest assured that He is.
So, how can we get the "Son" to shine in us as brilliantly as the "Sun" is shining outside of us?
Well, helping oneself is not the method that God has prescribed for the Christian. Our life in Christ is a life of dependency. We are like new born babies who need their parents to help them with everything. And in these times of "inner rain", let me suggest that you do as the scripture above declares, and wait on the Lord. Does that mean you should sit around and get lazy? Not by any means! You can sing, praise, read the scriptures, pray, or do whatever else the scriptures deem appropriate, but fix your purpose throughout it all on this one thing: waiting on God. Your actions, whatever they are, are worthless if your primary purpose is not to wait on the Lord. God sees us when we're down, and He desires to strengthen us and restore our joy! But, we must wait until He brings it! When God brings the promise, the clouds disappear, the rain stops, and the "Son" appears, turning our gloom into joy!
Today, wait on the Lord! You don't have to stop the rain on your own. He never disappoints those who wait for Him!
Earl is currently a doctoral student at Southern Methodist University's Richard B. Johnson Center for Economics Studies in Dallas, Texas. His wife is currently in SMU's law school These devotions simply spring out of his daily walk with the Lord. Earl can be reached at: earlshaw@gmail.com
