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Reasons for Seasons and Rain
by Abby Kelly Sometimes, when we go through difficult times, we call them "storms". If you ever watched Winnie the Pooh, gloomy old Eeyore was often pictured with a storm cloud hovering over his head. We say things like, "I've got the blues" or "He's under the weather", or we try to encourage people by saying, "The sun will come out again soon." These are called "figures of speech", ways to describe something that have become so common that everyone understands. You can think of figures of speech as tiny parables. The dictionary says that a parable is, "a story or phrase that uses familiar things to explain something." Jesus told many parables in the Bible. He used things that his listeners understood to teach them about God whom they could not see. In Matthew 7, Jesus tells the story about a wise man who built his house on a rock. Another man, a foolish one, built his house on the sand. Then, mighty storms came. The wind blew and the rain pounded on both homes. The wise man's house stood firm. But when the storms came and the water washed away the sandy foundation, the foolish man's house collapsed. Jesus used this story to explain that when we build our lives on Him, on the truth of His Word, we can stand strong and the sad and difficult things in life will not destroy us. However, if we set our hopes, dreams and future on a worthless foundationlike wealth, popularity or faith in a false god, when the storms of life come, we will fall apart. Storms are usually used to describe the bad times, but there is value in the storms and rain, too. Another phrase we often hear is, "April showers bring May flowers." We know flowers, plants and trees need rain to grow. Streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and oceans need rain. We depend on the rain to fill these bodies of water so that we have water to drink, shower and swim in. When it comes to the storms of life, there is a benefit in them too. When storm passed, and the wise man's house was still standing, he knew that he had built in the right place. He knew that foundation on which he built his house was strong. It's the same way for us in life. When we go through sad and hard times, God proves Himself to us. He proves that He is strong, faithful, wise and loving. Proverbs 12:25 says, "Anxiety in the heart of a man weighs him down, but a good word lifts him up." The word for "weighs down" actually means "to bow down to someone greater". When bad times come and we are sad or anxious, they cause us to bow down before God and seek His help in our troubles. Just like in nature, we face seasons in our lives. There will be sunny days and rainy seasons; times of happiness and joy as well of times of discouragement and sadness. Remembering the purpose of rain in nature can help us look for God's goodness and purpose in the hard times of our lives. Our struggles help us to see God's faithfulness and strength for us and they help us to remember to bow down and trust God. Learn more about me on my website: http://predatory-lies.com/about-me/ Please find my book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Predatory-Lies-Anorexia-Kelly-ebook/dp/B00HFGMBJA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389645006&sr=8-1&keywords=predatory+lies Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |