Showers and Sunshine
God promises to send showers of blessing in our season, bringing a variety of blessings that go together like links in a golden chain.
Charles E. Cowman preaches about the promise of showers of blessings from God, emphasizing that even in seasons of drought or darkness, God will send various blessings to His people. These blessings are interconnected and include converting grace, comforting grace, and other forms of divine favor. The sermon encourages believers to open their hearts to receive God's abundant blessings, transforming their challenges into opportunities for growth and flourishing.
Text
"I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing"
(Ezek. 34:26).
What is thy season this morning? Is it a season of drought? Then that is the season for showers. Is it a season of great heaviness and black clouds? Then that is the season for showers. "As thy day so shall thy strength be." "I will give thee showers of blessing." The word is in the plural. All kinds of blessings God will send. All God's blessings go together, like links in a golden chain. If He gives converting grace, He will also give comforting grace. He will send "showers of blessings." Look up today, O parched plant, and open thy leaves and flowers for a heavenly watering. --Spurgeon
"Let but thy heart become a valley low,
And God will rain on it till it will overflow."
Thou, O Lord, canst transform my thorn into a flower. And I want my thorn transformed into a flower. Job got the sunshine after the rain, but has the rain been all waste? Job wants to know, I want to know, if the shower had nothing to do with the shining. And Thou canst tell me Thy Cross can tell me. Thou hast crowned Thy sorrow. Be this my crown, O Lord. I only triumph in Thee when I have learned the radiance of the rain. --George Matheson
The fruitful life seeks showers as well as sunshine.
"The landscape, brown and sere beneath the sun,
Needs but the cloud to lift it into life;
The dews may damp the leaves of tree and flower,
But it requires the cloud-distilled shower
To bring rich verdure to the lifeless life.
"Ah, how like this, the landscape of a life:
Dews of trial fall like incense, rich and sweet;
But bearing little in the crystal tray
Like nymphs of night, dews lift at break of day
And transient impress leave, like lips that meet.
"But clouds of trials, bearing burdens rare,
Leave in the soul, a moisture settled deep:
Life kindles by the magic law of God;
And where before the thirsty camel trod,
There richest beauties to life's landscape leap.
"Then read thou in each cloud that comes to thee
The words of Paul, in letters large and clear:
So shall those clouds thy soul with blessing feed,
And with a constant trust as thou dost read,
All things together work for good. Fret not, nor fear!"
Sermon Outline
- I. The Promise of Showers of Blessing
- A. God's promise to send showers of blessing in our season
- B. The plural form of blessings implies a variety of blessings
- C. God's blessings go together like links in a golden chain
- II. The Necessity of Showers for Growth
- A. The fruitful life seeks showers as well as sunshine
- B. Showers bring life to a lifeless landscape
- C. Trials and challenges are necessary for growth and beauty
- III. The Role of Clouds in Bringing Blessings
- A. Clouds of trials bring moisture to the soul
- B. Clouds can be a source of blessing and growth
- C. Reading God's word in the midst of challenges brings blessing and trust
- IV. The Promise of Good in All Things
- A. God works all things together for good
- B. We should not fret or fear, but trust in God's goodness
Key Quotes
“I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing” — Charles E. Cowman
“Let but thy heart become a valley low, And God will rain on it till it will overflow” — Charles E. Cowman
“The fruitful life seeks showers as well as sunshine” — Charles E. Cowman
Application Points
- We should seek showers of blessing in our lives, trusting that God will send them in our season.
- We should not fret or fear when faced with challenges, but trust in God's goodness and work all things together for our good.
- We should read God's word in the midst of challenges, trusting that it will bring blessing and feed our soul.