I drove to the office this morning, August 8, in a pouring rain. The ditches were overflowing and water covered the road in places. This is August in Alabama and the grass is still green and growing. I have even considered mowing my grass twice a week in order to keep it from getting too hard to mow. (Okay, “considered” does not mean too seriously.)
What a difference in this year and the past few years when we were under drought situations.
Jesus tells us that, “Our Father in heaven causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
He causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall, not us. The drought was not of our doing. We have no power to turn the rain off and on at our choosing. It is controlled by God and falls at His doing.
His physical blessings of sunshine and rain are given equally to everyone. He causes his sun to shine on the evil and the good. He sends his rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
His spiritual blessings, however, are for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Jesus uses this truth about God’s sun and rain to teach a spiritual lesson to those who strive to be like God. “Love your enemies.” We are to do good, even to those who are not doing good to us. We are to “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
So the next time we are blessed with a much needed rain, we need to remember that this blessing of God’s love and care is not just for us. It is also for those do not love us. It is even given by God to those who do not love Him. And He is asking us to be like Him.