OceanSide church of Christ

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A Rainy Day
by: Dalton Gilreath

I.      Introduction

A.   Ever wished the rain would go away and come some other time?

                                          i.    Rain can be annoying to us at times

                                        ii.    However, we need to remember the purpose of rain and who controls it

B.   People have believed for centuries that man could affect the rain

                                          i.    Indians did dances and drank cactus juice

                                        ii.    Many believed their idols could bring the rain (Jer 14:22)

                                       iii.    However, God created and is the father of rain (Job 38:28)

C.   Consider two thoughts pertaining to rain

                                          i.    The memorial of God’s will

                                        ii.    The method of God’s will

II.    The Memorial and Method

A.   God has always used things of nature as reminders for His people

                                          i.    For example, God used the rainbow to remind Noah and Himself of His covenant not to destroy the world with water again (Gen 9:16)

                                        ii.    God used the Passover feast as a reminder of their freedom from Egypt at the hand of God (Ex 12:14)

                                       iii.    God used twelve stones as a reminder of their crossing Jordan (Jos 4:7)

B.   God also used nature to fulfill His will

                                          i.    Consider the ten plagues of Egypt (Ex 7-12)

1.    Most of them had do with nature

2.    A couple of them pertained to the weather

                                        ii.    God used rain specifically to fulfill His will as well

1.    Noah and the flood (Gen 6:17)

2.    Punishment for Israel’s rebellion (1 Sam 12:16-18)

3.    Blessings for obedience (Deut 11:13-17)

4.    Answering prayer (1 Kings 18:45, cf. James 5:17-18)

III.   The Application

A.   God continues to be in control of the rain today (Matt 5:45)

                                          i.    Rain is a blessing and not an annoyance

                                        ii.    It is a part of daily bread (Matt 6:11, Psa 68:19)

1.    When is the last time you remembered by you have food on your table?

2.    Food comes from rain that watered the crops and fed the animals we eat

                                       iii.    Let rain be a reminder of God’s goodness (Rom 2:4)