Zechariah 10:1 “Ask rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain.”
Observation: Chapter 10 of Zechariah speaks of the blessings of Messiah, beginning with this very reasonable command to “Ask rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain.” This seems a sensible suggestion. When else could spring rain be expected? Is it possible to ask God’s favor out of season? Apparently so, else why would the obvious be stated here? There are summer seasons when no spring rain can be expected; times of dryness when God’s voice seems unbearably distant and the heat of the day is like a fire burning off life’s dross. Then comes fall, a season of endings, when formerly important things or relationships must be reluctantly put away. Winter follows, a time of bitter cold, perhaps loneliness, a time to draw inward and hunker down from wintry blasts. But spring does come. New Life begins as the gentle, warm rains bring refreshing and renewal to our lives.
Application: It seems God is advising me to know what my current season is. He will water, but only at the right time. I can trust Him not to be slow, though I must also trust His wisdom in the matter of timing. Neither will He be early. He knows the exact measure of dross that requires the fire of summer. He sees my need for closure and is willing to patiently stand by as I grind through interminable winter nights. He waits, knowing there is a fulness of time when the soil of my heart has been perfectly prepared to receive spring rains.
This thought gives even more meaning to a second passage in today’s reading, Psalm 126:5–6: “Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I’m so thankful that You know me perfectly. You know what season I am in, and You know, too, my human tendency to want to find a short cut on the path You have laid out for me. But I do trust You in all things, Lord, even in this: there will come a day, in Your perfect timing, when joyful shouting will again pour from my soul. How I long for that day, and how I bow in gratitude for Your watchcare in the meantime.