THE GOD WHO REIGNS THROUGH THE RAIN
Rain is never random. Every drop that falls is a sermon from heaven – a reminder that God still governs the skies and speaks through the storms. From the Flood to the Latter Rain, He has used the clouds as His pulpit and the thunder as His voice.
When the heavens open, it’s not coincidence – it’s covenant. The same God who sent rain to cleanse the earth in Noah’s day still sends His Spirit to cleanse hearts today. Friends, the question isn’t whether God still sends rain. The question is – are we ready to receive it?
Rainfall Events in the Bible and Their Impact
Rain isn’t just weather in the Word of God – it’s witness. It testifies of His judgment, His mercy, and His faithfulness. Sometimes the skies weep, sometimes they roar, but every time they speak. Let’s walk through the Scriptures and see how God’s rain reveals His reign.
1. The Great Flood – Judgment That Led to Mercy
Genesis 7:11–12 (KJV) – “…the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.”
This was no passing shower – it was God’s global warning. The same rain that destroyed the wicked also lifted the ark of the righteous. Praise be to God, judgment and mercy flowed from the same clouds. When the storm cleared, a rainbow sealed the covenant, declaring that mercy would always triumph for those who walk with God.
2. Rain as a Blessing in the Promised Land
Deuteronomy 11:13–14 (KJV) – “I will give you the rain of your land in his due season…”
God tied Israel’s blessing to obedience. The “first rain” prepared the soil, the “latter rain” brought the harvest. Praise the Lord – our hearts need both! When we walk in His ways, heaven responds. When we drift, even the sky grows silent.
3. Elijah’s Prayer and the Drought’s End
1 Kings 18:41–45 (KJV) – “And… the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.”
For three and a half years, the sky was brass. But one man prayed until it broke. Elijah’s little cloud – “like a man’s hand” – became a downpour. Friends, faith sees rain before it falls. Revival always starts small: one prayer, one believer, one spark of obedience.
4. The Withholding of Rain as Judgment
Deuteronomy 28:23–24 (KJV) – “The heaven… shall be brass, and the earth… iron.”
When people hardened their hearts, God hardened the heavens. The dry land mirrored their dry souls. Drought isn’t just about climate – it’s about condition. Sin seals the sky; repentance reopens it.
5. Samuel’s Thunderstorm – A Divine Wake-Up Call
1 Samuel 12:17–18 (KJV) – “…I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain…”
During harvest, thunder was unthinkable – yet God sent it. He interrupted their comfort to expose their rebellion. Praise the Lord for storms that shake us back to sense! Sometimes mercy comes with lightning.
6. Job’s Perspective – The God Who Sends Rain in Seasons of Pain
Job 5:10 (KJV) – “Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields.”
Even when Job was broken, he saw that God never lost control. Rain was proof that God still cared. The same hand that allowed suffering also watered the soil for new growth.
7. Psalms – Rain as Gentle Grace
Psalm 72:6 (KJV) – “He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass…”
What a picture! The Lord doesn’t always roar in the clouds; sometimes He whispers in the rain. Grace doesn’t always crash – it seeps, reviving what life cut down. Every drop of mercy matters.
8. Rain as a Prophetic Sign of Revival
Joel 2:23 (KJV) – “He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain…”
The prophet saw what we’re living for – a spiritual downpour. The early rain was Pentecost; the latter rain is the end-time outpouring. Praise be to God, the Spirit is still falling where hearts are hungry!
9. Jeremiah’s Lament – The Ache of Withheld Rain
Jeremiah 14:4 (KJV) – “Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth…”
The parched ground was a sermon. Israel’s sin had dried up the blessing. Brethren, when we trade the Fountain of Living Waters for broken cisterns, the sky tells on us. But repentance invites the rain again.
10. Rain in Proverbs – Empty Clouds and False Promises
Proverbs 25:14 (KJV) – “Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.”
Clouds without rain promise life but deliver nothing. How many people look impressive but never pour out grace? The Lord calls us to be rain-bearers, not empty talkers.
11. Rain as God’s Word and Purpose
Isaiah 55:10–11 (KJV) – “As the rain cometh down… so shall my word be…”
God’s Word is like rain – sent, sure, and successful. It never returns void. Every verse that soaks your heart is working underground, even when you can’t see it.
12. Jesus on Rain – Grace for All
Matthew 5:45 (KJV) – “He… sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
What a Savior! He blesses both saint and sinner. Rain becomes a sermon on love – unconditional, continual, astonishing. The Lord’s compassion isn’t earned; it’s poured.
13. The Latter Rain in James – Waiting with Patience
James 5:7 (KJV) – “The husbandman waiteth… until he receive the early and latter rain.”
Be patient, brethren. The rain comes right on time. The harvest of righteousness takes seasons of waiting. Faith farmers don’t quit in drought. They trust that the Lord will send His rain again.
14. Rain in Zechariah – Prayer for Outpouring
Zechariah 10:1 (KJV) – “Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain…”
Ask! That’s the invitation. God’s rain falls when His people pray. Don’t wait for revival – pray it down. The clouds are gathering, and heaven is ready.
15. The Rain in Paul’s Shipwreck – Storms that Save
Acts 27:14–15, 18 (KJV) – “There arose against it a tempestuous wind… and we being exceedingly tossed…”
Paul’s storm looked like disaster but became deliverance. The rain drove him to Malta – and revival broke out there. Sometimes God’s direction comes disguised as a downpour.
Takeaway: Rain Is Never Random
From Noah’s flood to the apostle’s storm, from judgment to revival, God controls the clouds. Rain is His reminder that He reigns. When your life feels dry, don’t curse the drought – pray for rain. The heavens still open for those who ask.
Key Reflection Verses
- Hosea 6:3 (KJV) – “He shall come unto us as the rain.”
- Psalm 68:9 (KJV) – “Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain.”
- Jeremiah 5:24 (KJV) – “He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.”
Call to Action: The Question That Demands an AnswerIn Acts 2:37 Peter and the Apostles were asked the question – What Shall We do? And in Acts 2:38 Peter answered, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Do you understand this? After hearing the gospel and believing, they asked what should would do. The answer hasn’t changed friend, Peter clearly gave the answer. The question for you today is, Have you receieved the Holy Spirit Since you believed? If you’re ready to take that step, or you want to learn more about what it means to be born again of water and Spirit, visit: Come, and let the Spirit make you new. |
