When the Rain Comes

When the Rain Comes
Words of Faith 2-10-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Hebrews 6
[7] Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. [8] But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end, it will be burned.

        Have you ever gone through a drought? It can be a terrible time of waiting and praying for rain to finally come. For farmers, a drought threatens life and livelihood, but it can be hard even on suburban folks. I remember one year when we prayed for 37 rainless days before receiving a refreshing downpour on a Sunday. That was in Florida, where it rains all the time! The parched earth was drinking in the rain. Lawns got greener, and the lakes came up, and the farmers must have been happy.

        But the Writer points out that rain is not always the perfect solution for a parched land. The Writer observes that not all land responds to the rain as we would hope. Not every plot of ground received the rain to produce a crop. It seems that there is good land that is cultivated, planted, and ready for the rain. But there are also "badlands"   lands that have not been cultivated that seem to resist the rain. Bad land is so infested with wild seeds that when the rain comes, it only produces thorns and thistles. Such land is worthless to a farmer.

       The interesting thing is that before the rain comes, it may be difficult to distinguish between good and bad land. Bad land can look plowed, planted, and ready, but if it is full of wild seed, there will be a problem. The farmer's seed is not easily seen, but it is there. The wild seeds that produce thorns and thistles are not visible, but they are there. The difference is only evident when the rain comes.

        It is a powerful image, good land and bad land.

Have you ever wondered why revival is sometimes so divisive? We might wonder: Could the renewing rain of the Holy Spirit produce discord? The rain comes and waters the seed that is there. If a field has been planted with God's Word, the result is a crop that is wonderful and useful to God. But if there are seeds of discord, discontent, bitterness, unbelief, jealousy, gossip, hidden sin, or selfishness, these thorns and thistles soak up the energy and water and grow as well.

        Jesus said that thorns can grow up and choke out the Word of God. It should never surprise us that when God moves in a place, some are disturbed, some become angry, some are distressed, some seek to divide, and some may even leave. The rain brings out the most wonderful works of God, but can also reveal the very worst of human sin.

        So, how is your land? It may look just fine, but are there hidden seeds? Are there seeds left from your encounters with the world? Seeds of rebellion, bitterness, jealousy, or discord? Seeds that could grow into thorns and thistles, which choke out the Word in your life? Ask God to clean your soil and refresh your garden. Then ask Him to pour out His rain.

       Lord, I want nothing but the rich growth of Your Word in my life. Cleanse the soil of my heart   remove every wild seed. Let Your rain fall upon me. I want to produce the crop that you have planned in my life. I desire to have no thorn or thistle, not even a prickle. Cleanse me so that I might be prepared for your rain. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2026
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SUBSCRIPTIONS - To receive the Words of Faith devotion five days a week, send an e-mail message addressed to church.office@faithfellowshipweb.com. To stop receiving Words of Faith, send an e-mail message to the same address. The Daily Devotion and archive are posted at https://www.faithfellowshipweb.com/blog
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2026 Jeffrey D. Hoy.