Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Ants Are Like Lost Christians

Ants are like God's Children who have lost their way. 

     Ants looking for food run around in circles and every different directions searching for that one piece of parcel of food. They search and search and search and when they find that one piece of food they grab it and hold on tight. Then they run in a straight line for their home (nest).

     Christains who have lost their way or those who have not found God yet are much the same way. They run around in circles searching for that one thing that will fill the void they feel, quench that hunger. They are searching for God and just don't realize that is who they are searching for and they don't realize he is standing right in front of them. Then one day, they run into the right person who feeds them.....scripture, prayer or a word of encouragement and they take that and run with it. They hold on to it with all their might, hoping not to drop it along the way. It is up to us to keep feeding those (ants) christians and non-christians until they learn to feed themselves. 

    Keep in mind, just like the ant as he is hurrying home with his food, can drop it along the way. The same thing can happen to those we just fed, they can loose that little bit of faith they were holding onto. Good news is just like the ant who picks it up and keeps on going, so can the lost, however, we need to be there to help them. We need to continue cheering on those little ants.....I mean lost souls. 


Saturday, August 7, 2010

Send Down the Rain, Lord!

Lord Send Down the Rain!




      Kids love the rain, they love to play in the puddles, run barefoot, float sticks in the streams of water running down the street, and get soaked to the bone. Adults....don't like the rain. We complain when it rains. Why? We loved it as kids what changed? When it rains we run for cover, we hide under umbrellas, rain coats, newspapers, plastic bags whatever we can find to cover ourselves from getting wet. I know most of the time it is because we have to look good for our jobs and that is understandable, but what about on our days off.....what is our excuse then? We either don't leave the house (unless we have too), we stand under the awning or inside the building while our husbands get the car or we wait it out in the store and but what I see most is people ducking their heads (like that is going to keep them from getting wet) and running for the car or the building.
      I have learned I am not going to melt when it rains and so what if my make-up runs and my hair gets wet. I have come to love the rain especially after being caught in some unexpected down pours while out hiking. Yes the rain water is cold and no I didn't have a rain coat with me, but looking back it felt good to walk in the rain and let it pour down my face. Yes people looked at us like we were crazy for walking in the rain with our heads held high.
      The other day I was sitting at Glen Eyrie Castle when it began to rain, I looked at the window and had this sudden urge to be out in the middle of the downpour. I asked God what gives, why this sudden urge to be out in the rain? He replied, "It is refreshing to you. It makes you feel good." After the meeting was over, of course the rain had stopped by then...As I was driving out of "My Heaven" I began to ponder the words "Lord Send Down the Rain."  These are words to a song we used to sing a lot in church. Every time there is a chance of rain I say them over and over...thinking with my head, we need the rain (for the grass, trees and plants) but somewhere in my spirit it has a more spiritual meaning. So again, as I was pondering these words in my head and what God said to me about the refreshment of the rain, I began to realize when it rains in the natural it rains in the spiritual as well.
      When it rains it is symbolic of God pouring his love, grace, mercy, strength and anything else we need on us. That is the reason I have grown to love the rain so much. God can rain his spirit on me anytime he wants to, because it is meant to refresh my spirit, clear my head (just like in the natural the rain clears the air of all the dust and pollution) and my heart and makes everything seem so bright and new (the same as in the natural). When it rains everything is so clear and clean, so you could say the rain cleanses us as well.
       So the next time it rains don't try to run and hide but embrace it. Allow God to use it to cleanse you, refresh you and restore you to your natural beauty. Every time there is a chance of rain we should be crying out "God Send Down The Rain!"


Here are some scriptures to look and read on rain. Let God minister to you about the rain and how it can refresh you.

Deuteronomy 33:13-16
I Samuel 12:18
Job 38:37
Isaiah 55:10-11
Zechariah 8:12 and 10:1
Matthew 5:45