Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. James 1:2 NLT
“Into each life, some rain must fall.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
And it did. By the bucketful. By two bucketfuls. And then some.
My wife and I decided to take our two oldest grandboys camping. Check in wasn’t until two p.m., but the camp host said we could come when we wanted. No one had camped on our site the night before. Knowing the tendency of thunderstorms to crop up around noon in the mountains, we went early.
Gorgeous sunny cool weather greeted us … for one hour. No sooner had we erected the tent and put up a tarp than a gully washer decided to camp with us. My wife and the two grandboys headed for the tent. I stood outside under the tarp. We had chosen the spot for our tent based on the location of the electrical outlet box. What we couldn’t tell was that the location was the low spot of the campsite.
As the ground refused to accept the onslaught of water, the water puddled several inches deep outside our tent. Soon, I heard my wife utter those unwelcome words: “We have a problem.” I didn’t have to ask her to identify the problem.
Having no shovel, I used the next best thing, a hammer, to trench the water away from the tent. Then I took the broom and swept away the excess. After the rain stopped, we placed a tarp around that part of the tent to ward off any future puddles, which fortunately never came.
Campers and hikers have a saying about rain: “Rain is not a deterrent, just an inconvenience.” Trials of life are similar. I wouldn’t want them to stop coming, just as I wouldn’t wish away the rain. Rain brings nutrients and life to God’s natural order. Trials also serve important purposes. James told early believers to count it as an opportunity to have joy when trials came.
Those who endure trials will receive a crown of life (James 1:12). Rain comes to believers and unbelievers alike, but believers face the deluge with a different perspective. We suffer because we stand for Christ and have received Him as our Savior. Persecution, in whatever form it takes, is our badge of courage.
Trials also pour in God’s strength (1 Peter 5:10). We have various levels of strength, but none of us can adequately face, endure, and overcome the rain without assistance from God’s Spirit. Downpours show up God’s power in our lives. And nothing can outmatch Him.
So don’t let a little rain spoil your life experience. Better things are ahead—in life and in eternity.
Trials bring opportunities to learn. Trials also bring opportunities to bless others. Here in Mount Pleasant SC, rain has been a daily experience for weeks. The rain comes, then, the sunshine appears. My husband and I search for rainbows. We know that after any rain in life, blessings will appear. 🙂