Rain or Shine 5-3-10

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As best as I can and all by Your grace I give all that I am and all that I have into Your hands. … “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise and the evil and on the good, and send rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:43-45). The sun has burst forth this morning after two days of torrential rains over our region. The sun can be such a sign of Your blessing when the days have been soggy and dark and dreary. But for those in the desert places where all is exposed and nothing is hidden from the scorch of its blaze, it can seem more like a curse of Your judgment rather than the favor of Your blessing. Likewise, the rain can be such a sign of Your blessing, calling us to “be glad and rejoice in the Lord (our) God; for He has given the early rain for (our) vindication; He has poured down for (us) abundant rain, the early and the later rain as before. The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil…. (We) shall eatin plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord (our) God, who has dealt wondrously with (us)” (Joel 2:23-26). But those overwehelmed by the waters or dealing with the destruction that can come in the flash of a moment, can find it hard to find the silver lining in the dark clouds that rise in the abundance of rain. In my own experience, the first day I was praising Your name for the breakthrough in the heavenlies as a sign of Your breakthrough in our hearts. And the second day, I was calling on Your name for wisdom and mercy in response to river beginning for flow from my ceiling and through my walls in my garage. This morning I welcome “the sun of righteousness” to “rise with healing in its wings” and dry of the abundant blessings of the rain. So what are we to say in all these things? What are we believe You are saying to each of us in all these things? It seems You would say, “Now in this day and in the days to come, look to Me in all things. Seek My heart of redemption and My hand of favor in all that you may endure alongside all those who live and endure around you. Endure the seasons of blessing with glad hearts and rejoicing spirits, knowing I delight to give good gifts to My children. Endure the seasons of sorrow with patience and persistence, knowing I am always with you to bring you through every fearful time and every painful place. Even in My judgments, I always remember mercy. Even the discipline of My correction is from My love for you as My children. Even the plagues and judgments of the final season of this age will be from My heart of redemption, longing to bring every last soul who will call upon My name into My arms to spend all eternity with Me.” Yes, Lord. Help me keep looking to You, trusting in You, seeing Your good hand at work to redeem all things through this journey of life to make me more like You. Bring me to place in my spiritual maturity that I can say, “I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-14). So whether it rains or shines, come hell or high water, I will keep lifting my eyes and looking to the One from whom my help comes from (Psalm 121:1). I will choose by Your grace to be glad and rejoice, content to endure all things this world may hold with You by my side and Your Spirit in my heart. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, thank you so much for covering us in prayer at our School of Spiritual Ministry, Level 2 last week. The Lord met us in amazing ways, even with miraculous healings of spirit, soul, and body, as He was equipping us and imparting into us His Spirit for His ministry into the lives of others here and abroad. One friend of ours attending couldn't wear her wedding ring for years after a terrible accident leaving great pain and swelling her hands. She wore her wedding ring around her neck as a declaration of faith that as the Lord healed her in spirit, soul, and body, by the end of the School she would be wearing it on her finger. And she was! Praise God! That's just one of many testimonies to the Healing Love of God He was pouring out in our hearts by His Spirit. Thank you for joining with us in your prayers and your support that make this ministry possible! I pray that all the Lord has been pouring into us, He would pour into you in Jesus' name. DVD's of our teaching on Level 1 and Level 2 of our Schools of Spiritual Ministry are available for order for personal or group study if you're not able to come but may be called to this area of ministry or interested in learning more. This follows the teaching in my book Free to Be Like Jesus--Transforming Power of Healing & Deliverance www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Please share these morning prayers with anyone who may be interested. Subscribe by email to Tommy Hays at Messiah Ministries: MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org To order my books and our ministry resources or contribute to our ministry on-line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org Messiah Ministries; 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 God bless you!