PRAYER FOR THE RAIN OF THE SPIRIT

PART II

The church to whom God has given such precious promises is urged to desire rain from the Lord. She must pray, not to the clouds, not to the stars, but to that God Who hears heaven and Who hears the earth. Jehovah is the Almighty but also the All-sufficient and faithful One. He is that God Who speaks and it is, Who commands and it stands fast. All trusting in idols shall be put to shame.

“Call upon Me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not,” Jer. 33:3. Christ has opened the way to heaven and has consecrated it with His blood. We may come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

For us to be allowed to open our mouth to God is a mercy which has also been merited by Christ. He kept silence before Caiaphas and Pilate so that we would be allowed to open our mouth, and with prayers and supplications and thanksgiving make known all our desires unto God.

It is a great mercy to find in and through Christ an open throne and an open heart. It is to be considered a benefit in all circumstances of this life. How many needs, how much trouble and sorrow present themselves continually. How much difficulties God’s people have while they are still in this Meshech. Even the afflictions of the righteous are many. But they also know the times that everything was closed, and that they had no access with all their burdens and cares. There is no more difficult life for a child of God than that they must experience what Christ as Surety experienced in the state of His deep humiliation when He declared in Psalm 22:2, “O my God, I cry in the daytime but Thou hearest not, and in the night season, and am not silent.”

But on the other hand, we read that they constantly experienced that God is a Refuge for His own. Ask ye of the Lord rain. If there is one thing in which our utter and deep dependence is manifested, then it is surely this that God only can open the windows of heaven. Even though Ahab stamped his foot upon the ground in enmity, heaven was not opened. Let foolish man attempt whatever he will, but let him not think that God will relinquish it out of His hands. No, never, yea never, shall there be a time that we shall have the disposal of rain and drought. God alone makes the earth fruitful from above. It is also thus in grace. How utterly dependent we are upon God.

The Lord makes also the lightnings. He gives thunder. The lightning flashes are usually called the harbinger of the rain. In the east, the latter rain was usually accompanied with thunder, Job. 38:25. The prophet emphasizes that such thunder is from the Lord, that it is He Who gives the streams of rain which make the field fruitful. He gives them rain, to everyone grass in the field. It is for the grain as well as for all other produce of the field that the rain falls upon the earth. Nothing can keep itself alive. If God withheld the rain, then everything would wither, pine away, and die.

What a great Divine mercy it is when God opens heaven and sends down a plentiful rain upon earth. May we then desire and implore God Himself for that rain of the Spirit. “Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes O Thou that dwellest in the heaven. Behold as the eyes of servants look unto the hands of their masters, and as the eyes of the maiden unto the hand of her mistress, so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that He have mercy upon us,” Psalm 123:1,2. God could justly leave everything to itself, but He remembers His covenant to all eternity. God was moved from eternity in Himself and is always moved in Himself, in order that upon the basis of Christ’s righteousness He may visit His church and His people. Neither our tears, frames nor exercises can be the cause, but it is always that sovereign favor which moved Him from eternity.

Of course, tears cannot be missed. Let no one imagine that we can do without them. God’s Word speaks of a sorrow after God which worketh a repentance unto salvation not to be repented of. God never forgives dry sins. But tears are no ground for eternity; that is only Christ. Thus God’s people learn to know that it is all due to the onesided Divine good pleasure in Christ.

It is a great benefit when God draws a person out of the world and sin, or out of his selfwilled religion. No one would have ever asked or sought after God. That becomes the portion of all those, who in this time are called according to God’s purpose, because in eternity God had chosen them in Christ. That benefit is unspeakable to the sinner who has been quickened by God’s Spirit when Christ is revealed in him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. But it becomes a still greater wonder when we may find peace with God in the blood of the Lamb and become reconciled and appeased with God and sealed by the Holy Spirit.

However, such souls become aware that God has left an afflicted and poor people which shall trust in the Name of the Lord, Zeph. 3:12. Like formerly the queen of Sheba, they return into their country with the benefits which they have enjoyed. How often must they experience here that their heart is like a barren and thirsty land where no water is. In Psalm 88 Heman knew something of that too. “Wilt Thou shew wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise Thee? Lover and friend Thou hast put far from me and mine acquaintances into darkness.”

How low the condition may become of the true people of God. There may be darkness in the condition of their life so that a shadow falls upon their state for eternity.

But the right hand of the Lord changes. God never forsakes the works of His own hands. If those people were left to themselves, they would wither and die. It would carry us too far if we were to trace the life of the various Bible saints. I shall only mention the names of Noah, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, David, Solomon, and Peter. People of God, just compare your own life with theirs. If God was not the unchangeable and faithful One, you would have perished long ago. Your salvation is only in Christ, in Him Who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last.

The precious Holy Spirit Who was promised to you by Christ, has been given to you as the eternal Comforter.

As the early rain descends from heaven, so the latter rain comes in God’s time. And the rain of the Spirit always descends from heaven. It always causes wonderment and adoration anew. How often for those people heaven is like brass and the earth is like iron. Often the complaint from their life is, “The Lord hath forgotten me, the Lord hath forsaken me.” At times we can no longer pray, but also at times we no longer want to pray; when everything is cut off as it were, and that not even a complaint is left.

But suddenly heaven is opened and,
“With copious showers Thou didst assuage
The thirsting of Thy heritage.”

Psalter No. 180:2

God’s people are saved by grace. They are saved because God wills it. On their part it is a “scarcely being saved”, I Peter 4:18, but on God’s side they shall surely be saved. When by virtue of Christ’s intercession and upon the basis of His perfect Suretyship, that rain of the Spirit descends, then everything is refreshed. God’s people sometimes walk upon the earth despondent and comfortless. How severe the soul’s struggles may be at times.

Everything in the world, in the church, in the home, is at satan’s service to remove the comfort out of their heart. How great the depths of satan are!

Everything cannot be mentioned here. Sometimes it is as the Surety of the covenant complained in Psalm 42, “Deep calleth unto deep” and “The waters are come in unto my soul.” In Psalm 69:1 how much power sin may exercise oppressing their soul even though the ruling power of sin has been broken forever. It may go very far at times.

Many times their soul is weary because of all the strife and disturbances, but as soon as that rain of the Spirit descends, then everything is refreshed again. Then the dust is removed again from everything, and then everything is once more revived. Then they obtain strength to experience the Divine promises. Then the redemption wrought out by Christ is applied to their soul.

“The Lord from out His holy hill,
Gives answer when I cry.”

Then their soul receives courage and power again. Then faith is strengthened, hope is enlivened, and love is revived.

Then the old becomes new again. They receive new instructions and new experiences. Then the length and the breadth of Immanuel’s land is opened to their soul’s eyes, and they see through and over everything. Yea, at times they may glance into eternity, and they are again assured of their portion in God and in Christ. Their youth is renewed like the eagle’s, Psalm 103:5. Yea, they also lift up the hands which hang down and strengthen the feeble knees.

When in nature it has not rained for a long time and everything threatens to wither and die, we often busy ourselves by pouring water upon the fruits. In many cases it does more harm than good. No matter how much water we may pour on it, everything is as a rock, and besides, we cannot cause the fruits to have fragrance. But as soon as it rains from heaven, then everything brightens up, and what a pleasant fragrance everything spreads around. When the fruits are moistened by heaven, then immediately everything is different than when we do it. As soon as the sun shines upon it again, we can see it grow.

Through the bedewing of the Spirit, God’s work has influence. What a fragrance it spreads in our surroundings. Then the old man of sin is mortified and crucified, and then it is a proceeding toward perfection. Then something of the true self-denial, self-loathing, and self-abhorrence is practiced. Then we think nothing of ourselves anymore, and then God has the highest place in our heart. Then we walk in the footsteps of Christ and we become more and more conformed to the image of God. Then the fruit shall shake like Lebanon. Then we are fat and flourishing to show that the Lord is upright. He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him, Psalm 92:15.

O beloved, should we not long for such a rain? Should we not desire that rain of the Spirit from God? Like a stream of water we should beseech heaven for the world, for the church, for our family, and for our own heart. How barren everything is and dry. More and more men are forsaking God, and the power of the antichrist manifests itself strongly. The man of sin comes to the foreground.

In the churches there is a departing from the truth, a denying of Christ Who is the immovable foundation. Strife and discord, hatred, envy and contention abound. It is all because God’s Spirit is lacking, and the work of Divine grace is perceived so little. Where the fear of God is lacking, the door against sin has been removed, and there is also much indifference in the families.

How sad the conditions are in general, in heart and life. Whenever God’s Spirit is lacking, there is all confusion and evil work.

God supports His people throughout all times and circumstances, but actual communion is found so seldom. There will always be such who have not defiled their garments and who walk blameless and undefiled till the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But how small that number is. May that rain descend from heaven once more as it did formerly at the feast of Pentecost at Jerusalem. God’s church would increase visibly. God’s people would be built up in the most holy faith, the world would be put to shame, and God would be glorified.

One drop from that Spirit would become in us a fountain, springing up into eternal life. People of the Lord, how diligent we should be to make our calling and election sure. May God Himself discover the lack and cause it to oppress us so much that the fulfilment could not stay away. May He cause everything to be death to us, and cut us off from everything in which we seek our life. Christ would be the fountain of our life, and our increase would become manifest.

Our conversation would be in heaven, and we would consider the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. We often desire so much that would cause us more harm than profit. But to desire the rain of the Spirit, seeking the honor of God and the exaltation of His virtues would refresh us inwardly and strengthen our hearts and lead us in the way of righteousness. Our eye would then be directed to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, Heb. 12:2.

Poor unconverted fellow traveler to eternity, may yet a drop of that Spirit fall into your soul. One of our ancients wrote, “If you want to get wet, you must stand in the rain, and if you want to be converted, you must place yourself under the means.” Forsake the foolish and live, and go in the way of peace and understanding. May God be gracious unto you for the sake of Christ, His Son. With Him is the residue of the Spirit. He does not lack power nor ability.

All of you that rest upon ground which outside of Christ is no ground for eternity, may you be thrust down from everything before the day of death comes. May God open your eyes. Everything which lacks the stamp of God’s work shall not stand in the day of eternity. Do not deceive your souls. In the grave there is no device nor knowledge, and there is no more recalling to all eternity. Then it is too late, forever too late.

Awaiting people of the Lord who still wander from mountain to mountain and from hill to hill, may the rain come so that all our own works and that upon which we depend and which is no ground upon which we may meet God will be washed away so that you may find that only rock, Christ.

People of the Lord, may a rich ministration of the Spirit be given unto you from heaven so that God would receive His honor and that it would be confirmed to us together what we sing in Psalter No. 369 st. 3,

“To those who dwell in brotherhood
The Lord His blessings sends.
He crowns them with the crown of life
Of life that never ends.”

AMEN.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. — Titus 3:5–7

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