As I write this, our land is WET. There has been so much rain it has pooled in places I didn’t know it could pool. Personally, I love the rain. I remember as a child, going out in the rain to splash in puddles and to watch sticks and leaves flow down the side of the street. In my childhood neighborhood, there were even ducks that often came to live in our neighborhood as long as there were puddles in people’s yards.
Growing up, I remember one thing that stuck out to me from my Dad’s prayers. After a rain, He would always thank God for “the rain that blesses the land.” Part of the reason may be that I grew up mainly in a drought that was greatly affecting our state and the area I lived in. But that phrase, “thank you for the rain that blesses the land” has become more to me than just thankfulness for rain on a land that needs it. It’s a reminder of the many blessings God gives us that I take for granted.
Rain itself is one of those common blessings that God gives to all mankind. It’s part of the good way that He designed the world and how He ensures that our world continues to function well. Rain is so common, especially here in the Houston area, that it can be easy to overlook, or take for granted. It can even be an annoyance, like when it means cancelling plans or putting off something until another day. And yet, without rain, we wouldn’t have the ability to grow food as we do, have beautiful trees and flowers, or fill up our reservoirs and aquifers that we drink from.
This problem with taking blessings for granted isn’t unique to us modern people. I expect that the Israelites felt a similar way about their blessings when they were brought out of Egypt. Exodus 16 tells us that the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron after they had escaped Egypt saying,
Exodus 16:3
In response to their grumbling in spite of the rescue God provided, God gave them Manna and Quail. They had bread every morning and meat every evening for six days of the week, enough for all the people of Israel. That is a great blessing. The Israelites did not have to farm, hunt, or even go to the market for food, because God gave them food faithfully for 40 years as they wandered.
I see God’s character in that, His faithful and steadfast love. He didn’t provide bread and meat as long as the Israelites were grateful, or recognized the gift, or prayed before eating it. He gave them food when they were in rebellion, and when they doubted His goodness and His promises. He gave them food when, I expect, they grew tired of Manna and Quail and just treated that miracle as normal. And He gives us rain and sunshine and wind and breath and life abundantly whether or not we recognize it or thank Him for it. How faithful is our Father who loves us and blesses us perfectly.
And so, our response should be gratitude, and thankfulness for the rain and for the other common blessings that God gives to us without price. Let us thank Him for all that He does for us as we pray together, requesting more blessings in accordance with His will.
God’s Love and Mercy be with you all,
Noah
P.S. A song that speaks to this idea of God’s blessings coming faithfully to us regardless of our response is Manna by Chris Renzema.