AUGUST 3, 2022
Isaiah 55:10-11
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the Sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Do you remember learning during your school days about the amazing water cycle that God has put in place? Let's do a quick refresher on the entire water cycle Some quick points would be:
- The rain falls down to the earth through precipitation; it waters and feeds the earth.
- Then through the heat of the sun it evaporates and rises again.
- As the air cools, condensation occurs and clouds are formed.
- This continues until the clouds eventually drop their load through precipitation again and the cycle continues.
Think about the impact of rain... our scripture tells us that the rain waters the earth, makes it bud and flourish, and brings forth seed and bread. Just as there is a water cycle, there is a cycle for the word of God, we are told. The word comes from God, and has a specific purpose and will NEVER fail to achieve what God desires. And it too will return to God having accomplished its purpose.
Isaiah's point in using this illustration is that God's word is just as irresistible and effective as the rain is for the soil. We need God’s word of promise!! I am not much of a gardener, but I can tell you that there is nothing like the rain. It is perfect for the soil. You can stand out there day and night with a hose and saturate the ground to your heart's content. It will help a little - especially if the plant is dehydrated. But you don't see a lot of growth or plant vitality just on hose water. Yet when it rains... poof! Growth and life! God’s Word gives growth and life to each of us too!
We all know that life can be surprising, and things don’t always go exactly as planned. When that happens, we can become frustrated and disappointed with God. We begin to doubt the ability of God’s word and we try to patch things in life back together in our own strength. I know when I do that it is a rather unsuccessful endeavor.
Today, we need to remember that God’s ways are not our ways, but know this, God’s timing is always perfect. The rain falls in one season and the harvest comes in another. I wonder, what season are you in? Is this the rainy season or the harvest? Is this the preparation or the fulfillment of the blessing? Regardless of your season, know that God promises that His Word will always accomplish the tasks that He assigned to them, even if it’s not on our timeline. GOD IS FAITHFUL.
the words that come out of my mouth do not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.
Isaiah 55:11 The Message
