Camp Meeting Devotions - Day Thirty

 Isaiah 55:10 (NASB)

¹⁰  "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

A storm just passed through sending rain with it. Not a violent storm. A quick watering of the earth. The whole thing lasted about an hour. It started with a few sprinkles and soon spread into a soaking rain. A much-needed rain. We are in a severe drought. The ground is hard and thirsty.  

God sends the rain. He controls it. Like a water faucet in heaven, He turns on and off according to His good pleasure. We often take rain for granted. That is until we are in a drought. Then you hear people pleading for God to send it. Farmers do not take rain for granted. They depend on it. Rain is life giving. We all depend on rain even if we are not acutely aware of it. We depend on water. 

There are times when God stirs the clouds until they become dark and with His mighty hands, He squeezes those clouds like a sponge to send showers to water the earth, fill reservoirs, lakes, and ponds. Drought can cripple society. Not just the farmers. Also, the consumers. 

We are living in a time of a spiritual drought. Many in the pew are dry and barren. The ground of their hearts is cracked and thirsty for a drink from heaven. Something more than another Sunday show from the stage. Souls crave healing rain to refresh and replenish. They yearn for more than pop-psychology preaching for their parched souls. They need Holy Spirit inspired, heaven sent, and soul shaking encounters with Jehovah. Mercy drops may fall in our gatherings from time to time, but we long for the showers of His presence and power. 

Falling spiritual rain settles the dust of our desires. It cleanses us washing away the grit and grime of sin. It softens the soil of our souls to receive precious seeds of truth that will sprout into God glorifying fruit. We need spiritual showers to fall on us again. Like when we attended camp as youngsters. Like when we have encountered God at retreats. Like when we have been renewed in private devotions and moved in public worship gatherings. 

We often take water for granted. We turn on the faucet for water to cook or drink. We mindlessly stand under the cascading water in the shower. We may barely even notice the drought conditions until we walk outside and look at the ground. Scorched dead grass. Huge cracks in the ground. Dry dusty land. Upon these examinations we become aware of our need for water from heaven. 

In the same way, we may not even notice the dry desert conditions of our hearts. We may assemble to sing the songs of Zion and hear the proclamation of His truth not even noticing our true spiritual condition. We can get satisfied with a little religion stuck in the same old ruts. Take a closer look. Are our souls cracked from lack of God encounters? Are we dry faking our way through church and life? Are we so parched we no longer bear fruit? If so, we need God to send a spiritual rain to soak into our souls to bring us back to life. 

• Describe the condition of your soul. Well watered, dry, or in drought?
• Upon closer examination what do you see about yourself and your need?
• Ponder what a God sent spiritual rain would mean in your life. 
• Pray for a God encounter this morning to refresh your soul.