Prepared Rain

Ps 147:8-11
Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who prepares rain for the earth,
Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
He gives to the beast its food,
And to the young ravens that cry.
He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy.
NKJV

When my spirit is weary,
And I’m thirsty and dry.
I call out to You, Lord,
To answer my cry.

Lord, rain down Your presence
Refreshing my soul,
Filling my spirit
And making me whole.

The rain You’ve prepared
Is a marvel to me.
The earth’s in Your hands,
the wind and the sea.

Yet You look ahead
Through time and space,
And prepare rain for me
When I’m needing Your grace.

Send Your Spirit
Wash through my soul.
Clean my heart, Lord.
Make me whole.
Rain on me, Lord.
(J.Bailey, Spirit Rain)

Rain for Thirsty Pilgrims

Ps 84:5-7
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.
NKJV

It is in the time of dryness that the need for rain is most urgently felt. Appreciation grows with scarcity. Longing is generated through denied desire. Just as we long for autumn rains after a long parched summer, so also we should thirst for the presence and fellowship of God.

Baca literally means weeping. It is a type of balsam plant that can survive in very dry conditions. The one whose strength is in the Lord, who sees this life from Heaven’s perspective, can go through the driest valley, the valley of weeping, and make it a spring. A place where rain is so abundant it pools on the arid ground. Their strength does not depend on their surroundings, but rather on the knowledge that they are only passing through. The valley is only a small part of the journey. They have the end in sight, one that makes the valley pale in comparison.

My soul is yearning for Your living stream.
My heart is aching for You.
All that I long for is found in Your heart
You are everything I need.
You are the thirst, You are the stream.
You are the hunger living deep inside of me.
You are the food that satisfies.
You are provision for the journey of our lives.
You are everything. You are.
(You are Everything, Brian Doerksen and Steve Mitchinson)

Grass-growing Rain

Ps 72:6-7
He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
Like showers that water the earth.
In His days the righteous shall flourish,
And abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
NKJV

This, one of few psalms written by Solomon, speaks of the kind of rain that causes the grass to flourish and grow so quickly that it immediately needs mowing. His righteousness brings deep fulfillment, satisfaction from hunger, rich verdant growth in our souls.
When the powers of evil have been bound, and the Lord reigns supreme upon the earth, in His days, there will be peace. And the whole world that is now groaning and waiting for that day will be satiated with His rain. There will be no more darkness, only His light, for He is the Son. He is Jehovah.

Come as a mighty river. Come by Your hand deliver.
Lord, let Your presence wash over me.
Come in Your awesome power.
Come in this very hour.
Lord, let Your presence wash over me.
There is a river flowing from the throne
It brings healing to the nations of the earth.
Everyone will live where the river flows.
Living Water quench this thirsting in my soul.

(Come, as a Mighty River)