A few days ago I was driving to NY with some friends when it began to rain. It didn’t just rain, it was a torrential downpour. We were driving on the New Jersey Turnpike and we were going barely 30mph because we could hardly see the car in front of us. One of the passengers became very saddened by the rain, feeling that the heavy rain was brought upon by God’s wrath.
I saw where she was coming from, but the rain to me didn’t necessarily represent God’s wrath. There was a sense of peace in the rain for me. I couldn’t really explain it at the time, so I didn’t mention it. We began to discuss God’s wrath and love and the incredible nature of God who loves us so much, yet unleashes his wrath upon the unrighteous. As we drove the rains fell harder and hail started to fall on the car. We came to an overpass and stopped underneath it along with other vehicles.
This didn’t help to raise any spirits. We had planned to hang out with friends and perhaps spend time at the beach was all wasted. So we began to pray for the rains to stop and the road to become drivable again. We then watched and waited in silence as the rain continued and cars passed us attempting to make it through the storm. Before we knew it, the rain was much lighter, the hail had stopped, and we began on our way again.
The atmosphere was heavy with joy at the prayer that was answered, but still some sadness over rain. We had been singing and listening to songs for a good portion of the trip and I felt a heaviness on my heart that we needed to listen to My Soul Longs For You by Misty Edwards. I didn’t know why I was led to play that song. I had only heard it a few days before for the first time.
The song played through the first part as the singer sang while we began to talk about the rain and the answered prayer. We were discussing the meaning of rain and why God was bringing such a devastating rain when the song went to the second part. My ears perked up as i paid more attention to what was being sung. I stopped the conversation and turned up the music as we heard Misty sing these lines:
“I believe You will come like the rain”
The timing of the song in relation to our conversation was amazing. Here we were trying to understand why God was punishing us with this rain, or why God might be saddened on this day, and He began to talk to us through this song.
We began to smile and laugh at the way He was talking to us. We realized that we needed the rain to replenish the ground. That God was in the rain. Misty continued singing:
“Hallelujah! You make all things new! All things new! So let it rain! Let it rain!”
Yes, the rain washes away all the filth and makes all things new. The rain is not just for the wicked, as God punished the people in Noah’s time. It’s not just for the righteous.
Matthew 5:45 - “For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
We realized that we were rushing to do our own thing, and this rain, this torrential downpour of rain and hail, had us stopped, sitting and waiting for God to do his thing. We had no control over the situation and there was nothing we could do but stop and wait. If we had kept going, either my car would have been damaged, or we might have gotten into an accident.
Eventually we got to our destination. By then, the rains were gone and it was bright and sunny and we had a really fun time with old friends and made some new friends.
Don’t forget the parable of the wise man and the foolish man. When the rains come, and they will come, if you have built upon the Word and follow it, you’ll stay strong. Without that solid foundation we lose focus and begin to crumble and wind being washed away in the chaos around us.
I’m ready for something new, so let it rain!
