Long dry spells and droughts are often broken by savage storms. The soil is fragile because the grass covering has died, leaving the soil naked and exposed to the elements. Topsoil is washed away leaving only hard sub-soil for the next crop and the loose soil around great trees is poured away as flowing mud, sometimes causing them to topple and die.
Every farmer fears the storms that break droughts because they add damage to damage even while they are giving water and life. Yet it is the very flow-off from big storms that fills water storage dams to sustain and nourish all living creatures.
A recent drought was an exception to the storm rule. We saw some of the most severe droughts in a lifetime and when the rain came, it came tenderly. It broke in gentle showers and fell softly for days at a time. The storage dams filled to overflowing so silently you had to look to see the effects and everywhere was lush with nourishment. Rain soaked in and you could hear the land sighing its thanks
God comes to us as either a storm or as gentle rain. He sometimes has to wash away entrenched philosophies and beliefs with great storms of tragedy to replace the slush in storage dams with clean, flowing water. He has to act dramatically to prevent the stench and poison from spreading contamination.
When He comes as a storm to you, watch the storage tanks fill with clear, flowing water. Search for the great blessing that is either for you personally or for you to pour into those around you whose storage tanks may have filled with stagnant water.
At other times, He comes softly, to just one heart at a time. He lingers to saturate and nourish in the same way as He broke the recent drought.
My favorite translation of the Scriptures has a verse that is a drought-breaker with no storm wash and no damage. When you need to refill the storage tank of your heart, let it soak into your thoughts.
“My words distil like dew, like fine rain on tender grass.” (Deuteronomy 32:2, REB)
Elizabeth Price
