When It Rains… Again

It rained again this week.

Yes, we’ve had a few consecutive days of sunny weather here in the southeast, but early in the week found us back with the familiar clouds and dreariness. The overcast that persisted into the next day served as a reminder of the long and depressing months of winter that seem to have hung around too long this year.  As the drizzle hit my face on the walk to the mailbox, it reminded me that the misty feelings of discouragement dampen all of us at times.  You know what I mean…

Friends move on.
Marriages struggle.
Relationships change.
Sickness persists.
Dreams crumble.
Life ends.

Believers dwell in a world soaked in discouragement, and if we don’t learn to anticipate and deal with these inevitable struggles, the clouds of today will seep in and block the sunshine of tomorrow.

While there’s no way to sponge away the very real pain and hurt that exists, Christians need to be firmly convinced that this world isn’t all there is. Paul put it this way in the Colossians 3. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (vs 1-3)

Life doesn’t always turn out as we’d hope, and even when the clouds do give way to sun, the alterations in landscape can look so vastly different on the other side of a storm that we end up feeling disoriented and alone. As real as our emotions can be, Scripture emphatically states that this perception is wrong. Christ’s last words to His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew were a promise that He would be with us “always, to the very end of the age.”(Matt. 28:20) That means that you don’t have to wait for warm feelings, or for the light to shine on your circumstances. You can believe and act on the promises of Jesus now. Beyond any doubt, He proved His trustworthiness when He died on the cross for our sins and broke the power of death through His resurrection.

So, rain will come, but regardless of when it falls, how often, or the amount that accumulates, anchor your hope in God and His promises. Believe that He is present in your circumstances at all times, confidently knowing He will be faithful to take your hand and lead you out of your temporary murkiness, into the forever light of eternity with Him.