The Spring Rains

And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full. Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you. (Deuteronomy 11:13-17 ESV).

I live in Parker County Texas, located just 30 miles from Ft. Worth. We like to say this is where the west begins. Perhaps one of the reasons for that is the cattle trails used beginning there and traveling through our county. The topography of our county is rolling hills with plenty of cactus and mesquites. With a mere 35 inches of rain per year, irrigation is essential for all but the hardiest of vegetation. When we do get the spring rains, we are certainly grateful. There’s something wonderful about a gentle soaking rain. The grass and other plants seem to thrive so much better with the rain rather than irrigation. This is the context of our reading today. God is promising Israel to send the rains in their new land of promise. These verses are often misquoted in theological debates. Perhaps some of the reason for these debates is the truth that Jesus teaches concerning the “rain on the just and the unjust” (cf. Matthew 5). It is a clear teaching that God’s providence extends to all his children, “the evil and the good.” By the way, we should not make the mistake to think that some are deserving of the rain and others are not. All of us are “unjust” before the grace of God makes the atonement possible in our lives. But, that’s the real lesson. The rain, the provision for our growth, is all from God. We don’t deserve it and we didn’t earn it. So the call goes out to us to show gratitude by displaying the same kind of love to others, even our “ene¬mies.” For this work of love, I recommend beginning the day with prayer and meditation. Be aware of all those moments when you have an opportunity to reflect the warmth and goodness of God into the lives of others. I have heard the complaint from those who have been angered by someone’s actions, “They just boil my blood.” Well, I suggest you let the rain of God’s grace cool your anger.