Avoiding the Rain of Grace?

During our recent Memorial Day cookout, a heavy downpour began. It was as if the sky had opened up and buckets were being dumped out on my neighborhood. It started fast, was over quickly, and repeated itself several more times. Between the downpours were periods of sunshine and light rain. We even caught a glimpse of a beautiful rainbow during the first period of sunshine that followed rain.

Not wanting to get wet, all of the adults hurried to the shelter of the indoors when the downpour began. (All except for my faithful husband who was manning the grill at that moment.) The majority of our “picnic” took place indoors. After the second downpour the deck furniture and everything else was soaked. Even when there was less danger of getting wet from rain, sitting on the furniture would have produced the same result.

I observed a post on Facebook that contained the statement. “God's Grace falls down on us like a heavy rain.....Have you told Him ‘Thank You’ lately?” I then thought of our reaction to the rain on Monday. How often do we run from the grace that God is raining down on us? We look at our lives and believe that God truly couldn’t forgive our sin or make something out of our mess ups. But the rain of grace does not come down because of what we’ve done, but because of his goodness. ^“The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.” (Deuteronomy 28:12)  We cooperate with God and His goodness and favor provide the grace.  “And I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing, and I will cause the showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing [of good insured by God's favor].” (Ezekiel 34:26 AMP)

At our picnic I also observed that the children had no problem playing out in the rain. In fact, parents had to require them to come inside before getting too soaked, because they did not have a second set of clothing. These children would have stayed outside dancing and playing in the rain as long as they were allowed to. We hear this command from our Father God. “Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord, your God; for He gives you the former or early rain in just measure and in righteousness, and He causes to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, as before.” (Joel 2:23 AMP)  God refers to His people as children. Jesus taught to come as children. ^“Truly I say to you, whoever does not accept and receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a little child [does] shall not in any way enter it [at all].” (Luke 18:17 AMP)

Like escaping a summer shower, do we learn to avoid God’s grace as we grow up? Children simply trust their parent’s word. They simply enjoy the blessings of life. They have not yet “learned” that they could interfere with God’s work of grace. We adults must unlearn this wrong concept. The solution to this is simply to know our Father better. ^“ Yes, let us know (recognize, be acquainted with, and understand) Him; let us be zealous to know the Lord [to appreciate, give heed to, and cherish Him]. His going forth is prepared and certain as the dawn, and He will come to us as the [heavy] rain, as the latter rain that waters the earth.” (Hosea 6:3 AMP)  Then, when He sends the rain, we can dance and play and take no concern for getting too wet. We will understand that nothing else really matters.  We will walk in God’s favor.

When God rains down His grace on you today, do not run for shelter. Do not think of reasons that you should avoid receiving and enjoying the shower from heaven. Receive it with the faith of a child and dance to your heart’s content.