Gentle Rain

Psalm 72:6 He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.

Psalm 72 is about Jesus. Today in this verse, Jesus is with believers not in bodily form but in the Spirit. Verse 6 describes the presence of the Spirit with believers.

Just as earth has its various seasons of weather, so also our spirits. Proverbs 17:3 says, The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. This speaks of trial and hardship, stress and a tight place.

But the Psalm before us speaks of gentle rain, showers of blessing. After the harvest, when the field has been mown, after a time of trial and testing, the Spirit rests us, then prepares us for more work ahead. A mown field speaks of a spent field, it has been harvested, it is lying unused in the hot sun. It is waiting to be plowed again. Travelers may be walking across it, since it is beaten down and presents no obstacles. The owner of the field has no worry about thieves, since all has already been gleaned.

Then comes the rain--not a driving, beating rain of judgment and destruction, but a shower--gentle, soft, refreshing. There is the smell of wetness chasing away the pounding heat. The mown stalks of straw are softened as they absorb the moisture. There is the wet smell of damp earth, and in the receptive ground where the seeds have already fallen, new growth springs up! And a light film of new green shoots appears.

So is our Lord in His coming. He is a friend to His people. He refreshes and renews their spent spirits within them.

--------------

Thank-You, Lord, for the comfort You bring. May all those in my life who are aching and spent this morning feel Your gentle renewal as You shed Your great mercies in their hearts and in their lives. Rejuvenate us all with the soft rain of Your presence, and we thank You for the rests You give us between our sorrows and trials. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.