Lord Send the Rain

Last week's staff meeting here at Barefoot seriously was the most emotional, challenging, and inspiring meeting I have been a part of. God messed me up and pretty much everyone else in that room. What we are seeing here at Barefoot and what many of you are probably seeing is God doing something that is never easy for us to grasp...He is breaking us and stretching us in times of uncertainty and doubt. We are currently reading the 'Blessed Life' as a staff and are about to make it available to our entire church and if there is one underlying principle from that book that I can share with you, it's that God provides even when it doesn't make sense, but He calls us to TRUST and sometimes by trusting we go through the fire and have to experience the fire before God sends the rain that we long for.

We have seen more people in the past couple of days share theirs stories of how they have been brought from what they thought was the top, down to the valley, mostly in the area of finances...what's amazing is that these same people who are in the "valley" and experiencing fire are testifying that their walk with God has never been stronger and their families closer.

“…The god who answers by fire-he is God.”1 Kings 18:24

So, what do you do when you really need rain, but instead, God answers by fire?
In 1 Kings 18, Elijah declares to the people that God is going to show up and prove himself after 3 years of drought. And God does exactly that.But…When it hasn’t rained in over 3 years, and you hear that God is about to show up, wouldn’t you expect him to show up by sending rain?

I wonder how many of us are praying for God to send rain into an area of our lives, but it seems like He’s turning up the heat instead?-Praying for God’s provision…but the bank account continues to dip-Praying for God to grow your church…but another person got mad and just took their tithe and moved their membership elsewhere-Praying for God to heal your marriage…yet your husband seems to be getting colder and more resistant by the day.

It can be difficult to trust the intention of God when He’s forecasting more fire in your already scorched situation.Remember:God eventually did send the rain that Israel so desperately needed. But first He had to reveal His glory and authenticate His sovereignty by fire.

God often answers by fire before He sends the rain.The fire incinerates our altars of idolatry, and burns away all of the false securities that we tend to trust in.That way, when the sky finally opens, and the rain starts to pour, there’s no doubt: He is God.