“I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing.” Ezekiel 34:26 NLT
Showers of Blessings
Walk His Way Revisited
1623 was a rocky year for the Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock. In April they planted crops… “All prospered until the third week in May, when a drought set in. For six long weeks ‘there scarce fell any rain’ and there was excessive heat… the corn withered away so that they thought it was dead. Their beans ceased growing and appeared as though they had been blasted with fire.” They were told by people on a visiting ship that their friends who had been sent out on a boat were lost at sea in a severe storm. They did not have enough food or supplies left for the summer, nor another long, cold winter.
They set aside a public day to humble themselves before the Lord by eight or nine hours of fasting and prayer. The next morning “distilled such soft, sweet and moderate showers of rain, continuing some fourteen days… Such was the bounty and goodness of God.” The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD (Psalm 33:5b).
Not long after, they received much awaited supplies and word that their friends had escaped the storm and should be arriving soon. “This was all they needed to fill their cup with blessings. ‘Having these many signs of God’s favor and acceptance, (a prominent leader of the colony Edward) Winslow continues… ‘another solemn day was set apart… wherein we returned glory, honor and praise, with all thankfulness, to our good God, which dealt so graciously with us; whose name for these and all other His mercies towards His church and chosen ones, by them be blessed and praised, now and ever more. Amen.’”*
Ladies, have you felt so withered that you felt dead, blasted with fire, lost in a severe storm? Please take heart. The Lord wants to remind us all during this Thanksgiving season that He knows and He cares. The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us (Psalm 115:12a). My prayer is that He blesses us this very day in whatever area we need it, whatever that looks like, and that we would tell the world. “That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works” (Psalm 26:7).
There Shall Be Showers of Blessing**
There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.“Father, You bless us in so many ways. Accept our humble words of thanks. Amen.”
So so blessed we are!