Photo by Brian Rendel
“I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.” —Ezekiel 34:26
Here is sovereign mercy– “I will give them the shower in its season.” Is it not sovereign, divine mercy? –for who can say, “I will give them showers”, except God? There is only one voice which can speak to the clouds, and bid them beget the rain. Who sendeth down the rain upon the earth? Who scattereth the showers upon the green herb? Do not I, the Lord? So grace is the gift of God, and is not to be created by man. It is also needed grace. What would the ground do without showers? You may break the clods, you may sow your seeds, but what can you do without the rain? As absolutely needful is the divine blessing. In vain you labour, until God the plenteous shower bestows, and sends salvation down. Then, it is plenteous grace. “I will send them showers.” It does not say, “I will send them drops”, but “showers.” So it is with grace. If God gives a blessing, he usually gives it in such a measure that there is not room enough to receive it. Plenteous grace! Ah! we want plenteous grace to keep us humble, to make us prayerful, to make us holy; plenteous grace to make us zealous, to preserve us through this life, and at last to land us in heaven. We cannot do without saturating showers of grace. Again, it is seasonable grace. “I will cause the shower to come down in his season.” What is thy season this morning? Is it the season of drought? Then that is the season for showers. Is it a season of great heaviness and black clouds? Then that is the season for showers. “As thy days so shall thy strength be.” And here is a varied blessing. “I will give thee showers of blessing.” The word is in the plural. All kinds of blessings God will send. All God’s blessings go together, like links in a golden chain. If he gives converting grace, he will also give comforting grace. He will send “showers of blessing.” Look up today, O parched plant, and open thy leaves and flowers for a heavenly watering.
Charles Spurgeon
“As thy days so shall thy strength be.”
Wings of the Wind 
Great post. Mercy is indeed magnificent. It is new every day. David said, “For by thee i have run through a troop, by my God have i leaped over a wall.” 2 Sam.22:30. get ready to run and leap brother!
Thanks Manny. Mr. Spurgeon had a way with words.
Ready to run and leap with you my friend!
Boy that was good. Thanks Chris!
You’re welcome, Dawnmarie.
Hope you have a great day.
Hi Chris,
I am just coming up from the depths of a bad spell of depression and I needed to get out and say “Hi” to my brother. Happy spring to you! I am the parched plant that Spurgeon was referring to here! Thank you for posting this!
Did I ever tell you that my family is from Arkansas? My great-grandparents left Arkansas for Texas (Great Grandpa worked for the gas companies). Before that many generations were from Monticello, in Drew County, Arkansas. It’s on the other side from you I think, in fact my GreatGrandma’s greatgrandpa was an original founder of the town. My Granny was born there and often took us back to Arkansas to visit. I am sure I still have much kin there. All I can remember is the ticks were all over me!
Well, I hope that you are doing well. You’ve been quiet and I hope you know that there is someone out here in blog land praying for you and your family. May bless you with His abundant, cleansing rain today!
Hi Kari,
Happy spring! I’m sorry to hear of your depression. I can so relate to the parched plant in this devotion, myself.
I am slowly getting back to normal. I am happy to hear that you are “coming up,” too.
I didn’t know that your family was from Arkansas. You have more history here than I do. I moved here from California 16 years ago. I do have family here, but they also moved here from other states.
Ticks are probably my #1 nemesis here. One can be on me for a very short period of time and I swell. When I work out in the yard in the summer (which I’ve done very little of this year and it’s beginning to look like a jungle), I wear light colored clothing and carefully check it before going in the house. I used to have thick, white, rubber boots. I kind of looked like “Mr. Clean” without the bald head and big muscles.
One year I had to spray. The neighbor’s long-haired dogs (something you don’t want in the woods of Arkansas) obviously had no protection against the little fiends. Before I resorted to chemicals, I stood in the middle thousands of ticks and “took them out” with duct tape as they tried to make it up my boots to skin. Not one made it to me as I always tuck my socks in my pants and the boots were too tall to beat me and my duct tape. After a couple thousand ticks, I gave up as it appeared the reserves were unending. Thus, the tick killing spray. I didn’t want to spray because the ticks were close to a few blueberry bushes. I had no choice. The neighbor sprayed his side of the fence and moved before the next summer. I hope to never see anything like it again.
Back to the equally ugly subject of depression. I was covering some material about “anger” with a client today and she told me that she never discussed her depression with church folks. I had the opportunity to share my experiences with her. I explained my opinion that gene-based depression has nothing to do with a person’s faith. There is obviously sin-based depression. I don’t rule out that a certain amount of my depression is sin caused. However, when one looks back at one’s family history and there is a clear pattern of mental illness, it becomes clear to me that “nature” (vs. nurture) can have a great impact. Why should the mind be different than any other part of the body? Do people get judged about their faith if they get cancer, heart disease, or have to wear glasses? There are probably a few folks who are above having such conditions because of their great faith (Do you detect any sarcasm?).
If it is true that my sin is the reason for my depression, should I let it go untreated? I compare those who tell others not to take helpful medication to Job’s “friends.”
I encouraged the young lady that I was talking to not rule out that her depression is something that she will have to treat for a lifetime. I also asked about her family background and wasn’t surprised by what I heard.
I am aware that America is way over-medicated, particularly on pain pills. I heard the other day that the U.S. consumes 18% of the world’s prescribed medication. How much of the pain killing has to do with ungodliness only God knows.
There is no question in my mind that all creation is groaning:
18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
24For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
25But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
-Romans 8
May God help your faith to stay strong in your affliction, Kari.
I am waiting eagerly (v.23) with you.
Thank you so much for your prayers and know that I will also be praying for you and your family.
“Cleansing Rain”………Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
Reblogged this on Wings of the Wind and commented:
Here is a post that appeared here previously several years back. I think it is important theology and that it is a good time to share it again. We all need to be reminded of the truths one can glean from this scripture and from this comment on it by Mr. Spurgeon.
We do need to be reminded of this, Chris. We labor but the blessing, the grace, is the Lord’s. I love this:
“Look up today, O parched plant, and open thy leaves and flowers for a heavenly watering.”
I am glad that you would find something on my blog worthy of a re-blog, Maria. One can’t go too wrong with the words of Mr. Spurgeon, and I must admit that I am a fan of his. He had a way with words that I find straightforward, truthful, committed, and clever.
I needed to be reminded of this also. Much of my blog is a reflection of my journey as I’m sure yours is a reflection of yours. I post things that are of interest to me and if someone else finds something I post interesting it is a bonus. I can’t put everything up but, when facebook reminded me of this post, I read it and was blessed again, years later. Good words never get soiled. I know that we both believe that God’s Word trumps all and is everlasting.
The problems of our world come from a misunderstanding or a neglect of God’s Word. Mr. Spurgeon had a way of drawing many closer to it. 🙂
Yes, we both believe, Chris. I enjoyed this so much! Keep going, because we never know in blogging where the precious seed will fall.
:0)
Amen, let it the gospel message fly to all corners of the Earth upon wings of the wind. 🙂
Amen!!
Oops, for some reason I thought you had re-blogged this. Please do not feel obligated. I will correct my statement earlier later. This blogging thing can be complicated at times.
That’s okay, Chris! I misunderstood you too. Thought you meant that this Spurgeon post was good to reblog as you have.
:0)
Oh, I’ll leave our conversation up then as it is good for others to see how easily misunderstandings can happen in any context. 🙂
You’re a sport, brother! A term used more in my generation, I think. Lord bless you and your wife!
Thank you, Maria. I think we are in the same generation after you have used that term. Please don’t tell me your age but I am 57. Thank you for your kind words. God’s blessings…:)
:0)