SHOWERS OF SPEECH
April 26, 2022
Prayer: Lord help me to shower those who You want to reach with loving words that grow and teach. Amen
Scripture: Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, as the droplets on the fresh grass and as the showers on the herb. For I proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He. Deuteronomy 32: 1-4 NAS
At Valentine’s week we shared these verses from Isaiah 61:1-3:
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
The focus then was to share the fact that we have been sent as a “living love letter” into this world. Here we are two months later, in April, and I want to revisit the last part of these verses.
Verses one through the beginning of three express the things we were sent to do and are summed up at the end of verse three as “the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” As we were sent to spread the promise and presence of His good news, love, liberty, freedom, favor, justice, and comfort; God uses these moments to sow seeds in the hearts of people when we reach out to talk with them.
A relationship with God is not just to know Him, but to grow in Him. Just like our students, it is not enough to know the subject; we are only successful teachers if students can apply what they know. Knowledge must join with wisdom and understanding to be applied in everyday life, discussion, decisions, and problem solving. It must be nurtured and practiced. It must be measured as useful and added to so that it will become proficient, prosper, and be fruitful.
As “April showers bring May flowers,” I am going to ask you to think back to those people you thought of in February who were in need of a “living love letter” from God. Did His Valentine reach its desired destination? It is not too late if the message has been delayed. If you were obedient, and it was delivered, how are they doing now? Has anything changed? Have you had the opportunity to “water them?” Do you see blooms bursting forth? Is there fruit where there once were barren branches?
Copyright Kathy Branzell. To connect with the author, email [email protected]
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