Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. Joel 2:23
Summer and country, hot and humid, torrential rains and more heat, as well as more humidity are all fond memories of my childhood. As fun as it was playing and hearing my Grandmother say “how does anybody get that dirty” came second to my times of sitting on her large porch, swinging, drinking tea and the days of smelling the rain before it came. The excitement followed just as quickly as the downpour, immediately after the smell. It’s strange how our minds can still recall even the smell of rain because it has been years since I sat on a porch and waited for the rain. Maybe it’s a country thing; that certain smell that lets you know that rain is in the air. I am definitely grateful for the retention and the preservation of my senses. Today, that memory was pricked and all I could do was get excited… it’s about to rain!
In this particular section of Joel, he tells the people that they must repent and in turn God promised to remove judgment and repair the gap between Him and His people and then restore to them all of these wonderful blessings to those who faithfully obeyed. He promised great blessings both spiritually and naturally. God intended to do for the same for us who have faithfully obeyed. He would rain on them with the former and the latter rain, give them mercy, favor, grace, and love. They would know that God’s hand was on them. He offers them hope and the assurance for all that had been taken from them over the years. Simply, Israel would be restored to even a greater state than they had been previously.
It is the same for us today, God is keeping a close eye on each of us and He sees our heart. He knows that we have been obedient to His word. Even as we go through our tests and our trials, He knows. He knows our struggles; He knows our heartaches and pains. He sees our tears and knows what each represents; He keeps our prayers (Rev 5:8). He knows our faithfulness and He sees our good works, even if we don’t feel as though He does. Don’t get weary, and certainly, do not give up. Keep working for the kingdom, our work is not in vain and the Lord knows. The scripture says, “for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Heb 6:10).
Today, the word in my spirit is simple really; it just smells like rain, which means that after the smell the downpour of blessings is coming! It’s about to rain. Are you ready for the rain? Of course, I’m speaking of rain in a spiritually sense that will provide tangible (touchable, physical material) blessings. When the smell of rain in the air was revealed, it came with a refreshing and we know that the rain brings about more than a cleansing! It is rain in its proper season and the effects or the results of the seasonable rain that brings about abundance both naturally and most definitely spiritually. There will not only be overflow, because the rain that’s coming is not a moderate little shower, its coming fast and it’s coming hard. God is not only going to restore but re-establish, not only refresh but rejuvenate, not only renovate but rebuild because everything we need is in the rain. Once the seasonal rain begins, we will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it could only be God. Verse 21 says, “Fear not, O land: be glad and rejoice for the Lord will do great things!
The rain is coming! Can you smell it?
Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
Summer and country, hot and humid, torrential rains and more heat, as well as more humidity are all fond memories of my childhood. As fun as it was playing and hearing my Grandmother say “how does anybody get that dirty” came second to my times of sitting on her large porch, swinging, drinking tea and the days of smelling the rain before it came. The excitement followed just as quickly as the downpour, immediately after the smell. It’s strange how our minds can still recall even the smell of rain because it has been years since I sat on a porch and waited for the rain. Maybe it’s a country thing; that certain smell that lets you know that rain is in the air. I am definitely grateful for the retention and the preservation of my senses. Today, that memory was pricked and all I could do was get excited… it’s about to rain!
In this particular section of Joel, he tells the people that they must repent and in turn God promised to remove judgment and repair the gap between Him and His people and then restore to them all of these wonderful blessings to those who faithfully obeyed. He promised great blessings both spiritually and naturally. God intended to do for the same for us who have faithfully obeyed. He would rain on them with the former and the latter rain, give them mercy, favor, grace, and love. They would know that God’s hand was on them. He offers them hope and the assurance for all that had been taken from them over the years. Simply, Israel would be restored to even a greater state than they had been previously.
It is the same for us today, God is keeping a close eye on each of us and He sees our heart. He knows that we have been obedient to His word. Even as we go through our tests and our trials, He knows. He knows our struggles; He knows our heartaches and pains. He sees our tears and knows what each represents; He keeps our prayers (Rev 5:8). He knows our faithfulness and He sees our good works, even if we don’t feel as though He does. Don’t get weary, and certainly, do not give up. Keep working for the kingdom, our work is not in vain and the Lord knows. The scripture says, “for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Heb 6:10).
Today, the word in my spirit is simple really; it just smells like rain, which means that after the smell the downpour of blessings is coming! It’s about to rain. Are you ready for the rain? Of course, I’m speaking of rain in a spiritually sense that will provide tangible (touchable, physical material) blessings. When the smell of rain in the air was revealed, it came with a refreshing and we know that the rain brings about more than a cleansing! It is rain in its proper season and the effects or the results of the seasonable rain that brings about abundance both naturally and most definitely spiritually. There will not only be overflow, because the rain that’s coming is not a moderate little shower, its coming fast and it’s coming hard. God is not only going to restore but re-establish, not only refresh but rejuvenate, not only renovate but rebuild because everything we need is in the rain. Once the seasonal rain begins, we will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it could only be God. Verse 21 says, “Fear not, O land: be glad and rejoice for the Lord will do great things!
The rain is coming! Can you smell it?
Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
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