Sunny with a Chance of Rain

 “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.” (1 Peter 5:10–11)

Soaking up the sunshine on a clear, beautiful day while we walk can be invigorating. But when working on a hot and sunny day, cloud cover is a welcomed sight. After a long dry season, we pray for refreshing rain, but after a long rainy spell, one longs for the sun to shine again.

Our lives are affected by the intensity of the sun and rain, literally and figuratively. When the sun shines, life seems at its best until it gives off scorching heat. Rainfall is refreshing, washing away all the “dust” that settles on us until there is a downpour with no end in sight. But just as a fruitful garden requires sun and rain for growth, the same is true for productive lives. And God wants His children to live productively, producing fruit.

Rain falls (trials come our way), and sometimes, we don’t understand why. Job endured insurmountable pain and loss, unaware that God proved to Satan His servant would remain faithful. (Job 1:7–12). Paul wrote to the Corinthians that troubles so burdened his team and him that they “despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8). God allowed Paul to have a “thorn in the flesh” that he prayed God would remove, but God did not (2 Corinthians 12:7–10). Yet, in these instances, Job, Paul, and his coworkers trusted God even though there was no sunshine in sight. They believed in, trusted God.

The hardships that try our faith are sometimes for reasons unknown; they test our faith, increase patience (James 1:3,4, 12), chasten (Isaiah 48:10), purify our faith (1 Peter 1:6–9), and glorify God (1 Peter 4:12–16). But at God’s bidding, the sun peeks out and scatters the darkness. Through the rain and sunshine, God is making our lives complete, setting us firmly, giving us strength to bear what we must, forming a firm foundation that life’s fears, heat, floods, or winds cannot shake or move. God, who began this work in us, will bring the work to completion.