Titus24U: When will it end?

"It rained again," the first words my husband said as a new day began. Here on the farm we have oats cut, combining that needs to be done and weeds that need to pulled. This can't happen when the ground is wet or the rain falls, which has been the case the last few days.

I sensed a bit of frustration in my husband's voice and in my mind thought - "when will this end?" As that question popped in my head, I instantly thought of friends walking thru hard times and also had memories of difficult seasons of my own.

When life isn't going like I wish, hard things happen and situations are beyond my control, I want it to be over. How about you? My husband wants to harvest the crop and provide for his family. We want to feel better, we don't want others to suffer, and we want to be able to do what needs to be done.

As I think about all of this, I'm reminded sometimes life is not about our wants. God knows what we need. Right now there's no farmer in our county who wants rain, but that desire doesn't keep it from falling. Not a single person walking thru disease or grief volunteered for that path, but it happened. Nobody battling depression or financial struggles is excited to be in that position, but that doesn't change the fact that they find themselves there.

Friend, what's the rain in your life right now? Has it been falling for awhile? Do you feel like your drowning in the floodwaters? Do you just wish it would end? Does this situation leave you anxious? Are you worried about how it impacts your future?

It would be easy to let this rain overwhelm us...the crops we harvest put food on our table. But friend, we don't depend on oats, corn or beans...we depend on God. He is the One in control. He does the growing and the watering. It's by His power the sun shines and rains fall. Ultimately, He is our Provider, and He is yours as well. He knows what we need and has the resources to provide. It may not happen like we expect or come when we want, but He will do it.

Does that mean, it's easy? No. We sometimes do get anxious, worry can creep in and our thoughts can wonder, but that's when we must go to His Word. God's timed my Bible study for such a time as this. I'm currently working thru Wendy Blight's book, "Living So That" and this past week have been in a chapter titled, "Trials Come So That."

Take a minute and sit with our memory verse - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Friend, these two sentences say so much...the "rain" that's falling in your life, the trial you are walking thru it's there for a reason. Satan may have created the pain, but our great God allowed it as part of His plan. Your faith is being tested and as you persevere, you are maturing. Becoming more like Christ is a hard thing, but it is a very good thing. Don't run from the trial or beg God to turn off the rain...go to Him, take hold of His hand and trust His plan.

As you walk the path that's rocky and seems all uphill, depend on the One who is walking with you. Lean into Him, dig into His Word and share your heart with the One who makes it beat. Learn from Him and look for Him...He is working - in you and your circumstances.

One day it will end, the rain will stop and you will be changed. I truly believe one purpose for our trials is spelled out in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 - "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

He not only shapes us and strengthens our faith during the stormy seasons of life, He also prepares us to encourage others. Today if the sun is shining and the rain has stopped, look around you and reach out to one who's in need of shelter from a storm. Point them to the One who carried you through.

Today I'm thankful for these words from my husband - "It's a good drying day." In our physical world the rain has stopped, the wind is blowing and the ground is drying. Ultimately, God is working. And we are grateful. But my heart still hurts for those I know trying stand in the storm.

Though my heart hurts, my mind knows...one day their rain will stop too. While we wait for that to happen, I will do the only thing I can - pray to the One who has it all in control...

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, you are sovereign. You have a plan we don't always understand. You work in ways we don't always appreciate. Sometimes you bring the rain when we'd rather have the sun. And as every farmer knows, sometimes you turn up the heat when we'd rather have the moisture. God, we often think we know best, help us remember You always do what is best. You have a plan and it's for good. Sometimes that means hard stuff, difficult situations and overwhelming circumstances. In those moments Lord we ask You to fix our eyes on you, the author and perfecter of our faith. Our rock and redeemer. Our Savior and our Lord. Our refugee in times of trouble and our anchor when the winds blow. We are grateful we can depend on You and we are sorry for our unbelief. Comfort us in our troubles and then Lord use us to comfort others in theirs. Our health may fail, our spirit can grow weak, but You Lord are the strength of our heart - may we remember that always. Lord we do ask for the rain to end and life's storms to step, but if it's your will that they rage on, do your work and carry us through. Perfect our faith in the process and make the spiritual fruit grow with the rain you bring. In Jesus' powerful name I pray...Amen

If the rain's falling in your life...I pray this song provides some perspective -