Thank God for the Rain
I have a love-hate relationship with rain. When I am indoors, I absolutely love it! Let me paint a picture for you. It’s a rainy fall day, and I have nowhere to be. The sound of the rain hitting the AC, with the occasional rumble of thunder. Candles are lit, giving the room just the perfect amount of light needed for me to cuddle up on the couch and read a good book. The sounds, the lighting, the environment—a wonderful recipe for an amazing nap (ASMR could never).
But then there are days when it’s raining… and I have to go to work.
Rain + New York do not mix well. If you’ve lived here for any amount of time, you know how absolutely disgusting the city gets when it rains. Street corners flood because the drains get clogged, so you have to leap across the road like a ballerina. If you miss—congratulations! You’ve earned yourself a free swim in some of the nastiest water in the world.
Another perk? Well, rain in the city is the perfect time to practice your agility! With everyone crowding together beneath their umbrellas, you have to dodge the pointy ends coming at you from every direction just to keep both eyes intact. And even if you manage to avoid the puddles and make it home without needing emergency eye surgery, you still look like you took a shower with all your clothes on.
Though I complain, I know that we need the rain.
Although it brings temporary discomfort, what we receive in return is far greater than the fleeting pains of the moment. The leaves, the flowers, the fruit. All of it—absolutely worth every drop of our discomfort. When I’m sitting on a picnic blanket in the summer, enjoying some fresh fruit and admiring the lilies, I think one thing:
“Thank God for the rain.”
Rain and trials are one and the same. Both are necessary for growth.
No one grows by remaining comfortable. It’s in seasons of discomfort that we grow the most. We don’t learn patience without having someone or something to be patient with. We don’t learn forgiveness until we have someone to forgive. It’s in moments of difficulty that we are stretched, refined, and shaped. Just like rain, trials do not last forever—but the fruit they produce is truly sweet.
Joseph was going through it! He went from trial, to trial, to trial. First, he was thrown into a pit by his jealous brothers. Then, they sold him into slavery, and he was taken to Egypt. There, Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, bought him. But God was with Joseph and gave him success in everything he did. Seeing that the Lord was with Joseph, Potiphar made him the overseer of his household. Joseph was placed in charge of everything Potiphar owned.
Things were looking up, right? WRONG!
Potiphar’s wife saw Joseph and was like, “Mmm…now that’s what you call fearfully and wonderfully madeeeee,” and tried to sleep with him! Wild, right? I thought the same thing. Day after day, she begged Joseph to sleep with her, but he rejected her EVERY TIME! One day, she grabbed him by his cloak and demanded again that he sleep with her. Trying to get away, Joseph fled, leaving his cloak in her hands. She then lied and accused him of trying to force himself on her, and Joseph was thrown into PRISON!!!
Poor Joseph couldn’t catch a break! Forget rain—Joseph was in the middle of a hurricane. Though the storm was raging, the Lord was still with him.
Once again, God showed Joseph kindness and gave him favor. Eventually, the prison warden placed Joseph in charge of everyone and everything in the prison. One day, two of Pharaoh’s officials—his cupbearer and baker—had dreams they could not interpret. God revealed the meaning of each dream to Joseph. For the cupbearer, this meant he would be restored to his position. For the baker, let’s just say he was going to meet his Maker. Ba-dum-tss!
Everything happened just as Joseph said it would. Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him once he was restored, but after the cupbearer was released, Joseph was out of sight and out of mind.
About two years later, Pharaoh had dreams that no one could interpret. That’s when the cupbearer finally remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh how Joseph had interpreted his dream. So, Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who explained that the dreams were a warning from God: there would be seven years of great abundance throughout the land, followed by seven years of severe famine.
Once again, the Lord was with Joseph. Pharaoh recognized his God-given wisdom and put him in charge of preparing Egypt for the approaching famine. Joseph went from prisoner to second-in-command over all of Egypt—from the storm to the sunshine.
The famine eventually led to an unplanned family reunion. Joseph and his brothers were brought face-to-face. Except this time, Joseph wasn’t in the pit with his fate in his brothers’ hands. They were the ones in the hole, with the power of life and death resting at Joseph’s fingertips. He had every opportunity to seek revenge, but instead, Joseph chose forgiveness. He chose to save his family. Joseph chose love and mercy.
Rather than seeing his storm as purposeless, Joseph recognized how God had worked everything together for good. Joseph later explained it this way:
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20, NIV)
Every trial had prepared and equipped him for the position God had waiting for him. None of his suffering was wasted, and Joseph came out stronger.
God is with us in every trial, and He can use what was meant to break us to build us instead. The apostle James says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2–3, NIV).
I know this to be true because I have watched God do it in my own life.
Two years ago, I felt the Lord leading me to do something uncomfortable. I knew it was the Lord because I did not want to do it. In fact, when I heard God tell me to do this thing, I said no and pretended like I heard nothing. I was fine in my comfortable, safe little bubble and did not want anything popping it. Terrified of what the aftermath would be, I avoided it until I had no choice but to be obedient.
So, one day, I decided to be brave and do this thing the Lord asked me to do. I would love to say everything worked out great and nothing bad happened, but that’s not true! Forget the rain—I was in the midst of a tsunami. Just when I thought the wave had passed, I was hit by another—and then another—each one bigger than the last. Each wave took something I loved. Every week I experienced some kind of loss (It was giving Job, but without the literal death part).
Through this thing, the Lord revealed things in me that needed to be healed. He was showing me how filled with bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness I was. He revealed lies spoken over me that I did not realize I had come into agreement with. At the time, all I could see was what the waves were taking from me. I couldn’t yet see what God was doing beneath the surface.
A few weeks ago, I found myself standing at the end of a pier, watching a literal storm move toward me. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced in my life! I was overlooking New Jersey as the clouds and rain danced their way across the Hudson River toward the city. As the storm drew closer, the wind sent small droplets of rain to kiss me. Finally, the clouds moved overhead, bringing a downpour over me.
As I stood in the middle of the storm, the song playing in my AirPods was “The Lord Is With Me” by Red Rocks Worship. Hearing the phrase “The Lord is with me” again and again, I was reminded of the thing and all the trials I went through.
Truly, I can look back now and say that the Lord was with me. Through everything, God taught me how to forgive, love, trust, and be confident in who He has called me to be. He removed my bitterness and replaced it with mercy. He broke chains that were holding me captive. He demolished lies that were keeping me imprisoned. He restored and healed broken relationships I never thought could be restored. Almost everything I lost has been returned to me, but what I have now is so much better. My life is filled with so much joy, laughter, and purpose. I am living in alignment with the calling He has placed over my life. My life is so full. If I could go back, I wouldn’t change a thing.
As I twirled in that storm, all I could say was, “Thank God for the rain.”
Right now, you might be going through a storm that feels like it will never end. But I want to encourage you: what you’re going through is only for a moment. The rain is going to suck, but the fruit this season produces will be so sweet. The flowers that grow will be so beautiful that all you’ll be able to say is, “Thank God for the rain.”
Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
