“Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass.” (Mark 4:39 7 MSG)
On a Tuesday night in October, even through the opaque curtains on my bedroom windows, I saw the lightning flashing. And over the volume of the noisy broadcast of a televised World Series game, I heard the thunder roll. It was like a song, right? I’m sure, because Satan is always busy, I could borrow some more words from the comforting song, “Never Alone,” and make this intro complete. “I felt sins breakers dashing, trying to conquer my soul.” The breakers dashing at that time were not serious, but they were still real. The temptation to get up and eat some more, yes some more late night treats that would not be good for my health, was beckoning me, enticing me, seducing me to eat more. I fought it and this time, I won!
The ominous weather of the night continued until the morning when the dense covering of darkness was lifted and light stepped in to testify to the start of a brand new day. Yet still there were some rain clouds overhead, hesitant to depart and there were showers, hardly visible to the eye dancing down in a drizzle as if they were delighted to have been awarded a cameo appearance after fighting behind the scenes just to be part of the damp meteorological performance in that rain filled day. Looking outside, I saw the trees, seemingly still sleeping, branches bowing down, weakened from waging war with the wind all through the night. It was as they had no sleep and had been left exhausted. There was not a bird in the sky, perhaps scared away by the swirling winds or maybe it was their scheduled time to migrate to a safer, secluded place. It was a rained filled day; those kind of days that bring you down.
In life we have figurative rain filled days that have a real effect on us. Once and awhile, and for some more often than not, there is the flashing of depressing thoughts and the thundering sound of thoughts that threaten to drown out our joy. And, especially during such times, these rain filled days, Satan will mess with one’s mind, trying to subtly occupy the cognitive state; cleverly pushing aside memories of happy moments, ingeniously holding back ones joy that wants to offer praise for present blessings, and our adversary attempts to suppress our magnificent hope for what lies ahead. Yes, we have one of those rain filled days every now and then. Well, what do we do? Is there a remedy or a reliable prescription? Try these three things: (1) Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you (I Peter 5:7 NLT). (2) Put away your fears, assured that the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed (Deuteronomy 31:8 NKJV). (3) Fill your thoughts with things that bring you joy, knowing that “a joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22 NASB).”
Let me add two other recommendations for rainy days. Start by counting your blessings! If you fill your mind with your blessings, too numerous to count, there will be no room for other thoughts. Remember, two things cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Finally, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7 NASB).” I hope you find this meditation helpful, today or in the future when rain filled days visit you. Be blessed!
“Happy are those who long to be just and good, for they shall be completely satisfied. Happy are the kind and merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. Happy are those whose hearts are pure, for they shall see God. Happy are those who strive for peace—they shall be called the sons of God.” (Matthew 5:6-9 TLB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King
What a joy to know that God is there – He won’t forsake you or leave you alone. No never alone, no never alone: He walks with me, He talks with me…I can live with that and it makes my rainy days be just that, rainy! God makes the rain and all that is around us. I will be thankful in whatever situation I find myself, including the rainy days. Thanks be to God, Pastor. Thank you for reminding us of the things we can do in the midst of the rainy days.