Showers of Blessing

There are days when the weight of life feels heavier than usual—a loved one tells you of their diagnosis, economic hardships abound, and uncertainty in almost every realm of life rears its head. In moments like these, we should begin looking for blessings. The Lord is gracious to his people—as a farmer looks for rain, we need to look for showers of blessing (Ezekiel 34:26).

Think about how many blessings the Lord has given you up to this point. Remember all the hardships you thought you would never make it through? You are still here. Through sickness, conflicts, doubts, and fears, he has never let you go. If you pause to reflect on those times, you will likely recall how he showed you his love in the midst of them.

I can remember about 25 years ago coming down with a chronic illness and missing two weeks of work. This lack of work added economic weight to an already heavy burden. Out of the blue, someone we barely knew sent us money to get us through.

My heart leaped with joy amid heaviness—not so much because of the money, but because I knew the Lord would take care of us. You likely have similar stories. These are showers of blessing.

I have seen times when friends were facing some difficulty, and we stopped to pray with specificity, and the Lord answered with the same specificity. It was as if he was saying, “I am with you in the midst of the furnace. I will not let the fire even singe your clothes.” These, too, are showers of blessing.

Take a moment to reflect on answered prayers from your past or even blessings you never requested, but he gave them to you anyway. Now, think about your present condition. You might be facing manifold heaviness—the Lord who cared for you in the past still loves you today. Are you looking for the blessings, or have you taken your eyes off Jesus and only focused on the waves?

I know what you are thinking because I believe much of the Christian experience is universal. You are doubting whether you have been walking close enough to the Lord to deserve his blessing. Maybe you are in this situation because you have been neglecting him. Is it right to look for a blessing when we have been so half-hearted toward him?

Your Savior does not bless you because you deserve it. If that were the case, there would be no blessings for any of us. The only reason any of us are his children is because, while we were still sinners, he died for us (Romans 5:8-9).

When you first came to Jesus in faith, you had nothing to bring to him other than your sins, and he washed you clean. Now that you have been a Christian for years, even if you have served him diligently, you have done nothing that deserves his blessing (Luke 17:7-10).

His showers of blessing begin with the cloud burst of the gospel pouring down upon us, washing us clean—it is so powerful it even cleans the conscience. Do you remember that? Do you remember walking around the next day light as a feather? Every other blessing you will ever experience flows from that same source, so never let the enemy keep you from going to Christ seeking his blessing because you have somehow fallen short.

Our sins are not the reason to stay away from Jesus; they are the very reason to run to him. Wherever you are and whatever you are facing, I pray that the Lord will use this short devotion to take your eyes off what is bringing you down and cause you to look up to Jesus in anticipation of showers of blessing.

In looking to Christ for showers of blessing, we often find that the trial we are facing is also a blessing. Sure, the trial may not be good in itself, but the Lord is using it to conform you to his image.

It may be that only days ago, your heart was cold to the things of God. Even if you have walked with him for years, you have grown cold as you engaged in other pursuits. Now, some difficulty has brought you to your knees, and you are once again seeking your Savior. That in itself is a blessing.

Finally, consider this. This blog is a small-time blog, and not many people will find or read this short devotion, but somehow, you are one of them. Not only did it find its way to you, but you have read it all the way to this final question. Could the Lord be using this short writing to tell you he loves you and to begin looking up?

-D. Eaton