The Refreshing Word of God
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV)
When you live in a hot climate like Houston, Texas, you quickly learn to appreciate rain. Rain makes spring burst on the scene in March, painting the town in explosive color that lasts all season long. It keeps the grass green through July and August when temperatures are above 100 degrees every day. Even heavy rain storms bring relief from our intense summer heat and humidity.
When my parents retired they left Michigan for the Phoenix, Arizona area. There in the Southwest they rely on water from the winter snows that melt and feed the Colorado river. Its water is diverted to bulging cities and small towns across parts of seven US states and two Mexican states. A white Christmas in the Colorado Rockies is not only picturesque but bodes well for keeping drought in check over the long dry season in the Arizona desert.
The water (the rain and snow) serves its purpose. Without water the earth does not bud or flourish and nothing will grow. We would have nothing to drink or eat. But God made it so that beautiful water comes down from heaven causing trees and plants to bud, blossom, grow, and produce fruit and seed. What a beautiful picture of the way God’s Word works in our lives: “So is my word that goes forth out of my mouth.”
Thankfully, God is not shortsighted. He does not save us from the discomfort of rain or snow. Nor does He divert every strong storm that brings the water. Instead, He has a purpose for the storm. Just like the water that comes with a storm causes the earth to flourish, His Word does the same thing for us. I have found that a word from God reaches parts of my life, parts of my heart, that are so parched nothing else can reach them. A word from God can cause a dead and dry soul, dream, relationship, or purpose to come to life. That precious word acts like the rain and causes things inside us to bud, flourish, and produce.
Do you desire that kind of water? Jesus told the woman at the well of Samaria that He had living water to give to her, the kind that would never leave her thirsty again. Jesus has that water for us too! I invite you to open the Bible and read, and take a long drink. Tell God about your dry thirsty areas and ask Him to speak His word to you as you read, as you listen to Bible centered teaching and preaching, as you worship Him in songs and through your lifestyle, and as you bow your head in prayer and bow your knee to His plan and purpose for you. His water will cause you to bud, flourish, and produce!
