Dusty Leaves.

So...I went with some friends to Twisted Falls today. It's quite a long and bumpy drive out there, so (me being me) I had a lot of time to think. When we were on the dirt road for a while, I noticed all of the leaves that were low to the ground...they were basically coated in dust from all of the cars that had left residue upon them. That's the second time in the past few weeks I have been on a road like that and thought the same thing. But today I was thinking: those leaves have no choice but to get covered in dirt all day every day, but they still choose to live. Wouldn't you think that after years and years of the same thing, they would eventually die off in those positions because they can't get the proper nutrients from the sun? And then it occurred to me...they are only dusty until the Lord sends the rain. When that blessed day comes, they are cleansed and renewed...they receive from the sunlight whatever they need, and they can thrive.

Those leaves are like us. We go through days and days of the filth of the world...just waiting upon our Creator to send His glorious rain and make us clean...then we can see the Son and learn what He has to teach us. This world is despicable...it is so fallen because of sin. But we have the Hope of Nations on our side, just waiting to cleanse us from all of the things of this world. I think of the time of The Flood...God sent rain for 40 days and 40 nights to purge from the world all of the people who had constantly demonstrated their contempt for Him and His laws. After that, Noah and his family were given the opportunity to start over. That is what we are presented with every time we immerse ourselves in God's Word...in prayer...in fellowship with other believers...in worship.

In the Old Testament, there are many instances of the Lord not sending rain to the people as a response to their rebellion...thus confirming its crucial significance. Rain is necessary for the growth of everything...just as rain from Heaven (Living Water) is essential for our spiritual growth.

"You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home, and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor." --Psalm 104:13.

"He covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth, and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures." --Psalm 147:8.

"Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock." --Isaiah 30:23.

"Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us." --Jeremiah 14:22.

"Then the remnant left in Israel will take their place among the nations. They will be like dew sent by the Lord or like rain falling on the grass, which no one can hold back and no one can restrain." --Micah 5:7.

"'Seven days from now I will make the rains pour down on the earth. And it will rain for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the earth all the living things I have created.'" --Genesis 7:4.