Ask for rain

"Ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain, from the LORD who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain" (Zechariah 10:1).

Why, pray tell, would you have to ask the Lord for rain in the rainy season? I can understand asking the Lord for rain-even begging the Lord for rain-in the summer of a Texas drought. But rain in the rainy season is automatic, I would think.

Isn't it interesting that the prophet does not say, "Ask rain from the Lord in the dry season"? That would be the expected exhortation. But the better to show that God is not only the God of the miracle but also the God of the usual, we are told to "ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain." The better to show that it is important to pray not only when trouble has been hurled into our lives but also when our days pass uneventfully, we are told to "ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain."

The rain is not automatic. The sun's appearing at 7 a.m. and setting at 5 p.m. this week in Glenside is not automatic. You want to talk about cause-and-effect? How about this:

"You cause the grass to grow for the livestock …" (Psalm 104:14).

When God encourages us to ask rain from Him in the season of the spring rain, He is, in effect, saying the same thing Jesus said to do:

"Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11).

That is, don't get used to the idea that your daily meals are automatic. Then you would cease being grateful.

This, of course, goes for spiritual things as well as physical things. Only God is able to cause us to grow spiritually (though we "sow" with prayer and "till" with obedience). So we need to ask Him for blessings and power and help, and not just to assume it. I don't know why God wants to be asked, but He wants to be asked. Let us do it His way and ask. Ask Him-and thank Him-for everything you need, in rainy seasons as well as dry.