Rainy Days, Singing in the Storm, and Showers of Blessing
Rainy Days, Singing in the Storm, and Showers of Blessing
by Pastor Billy
If you live in Pennsylvania, you don’t need anyone to explain rainy days to you. We know the sound of rain on the roof, the gray skies, the flooded gutters, the way plans suddenly change.
But have you noticed that rain can bring joy, too?
Pastor Billy opened with that classic scene from *Singin’ in the Rain*—Gene Kelly splashing in puddles, swinging around lampposts, singing at the top of his lungs on a stormy night. Nothing about the weather changed, but something inside him did. He was in love, full of joy, and it just had to come out—even in the downpour.
That picture sets the tone for what we explored together:
How can we experience deep blessing—even in the “rainy seasons” of life?
The Good Shepherd Who Comes Looking for Us
The message centered on a powerful image from the Bible: God as a shepherd, and us as His sheep.
In Ezekiel 34, God calls out the unfaithful leaders of Israel—the “shepherds” who were supposed to care for the people but instead took advantage of them. They fed themselves, not the flock. They ignored the weak, the sick, the injured, and the lost. They didn’t protect; they used.
So God makes a stunning promise:
“I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.”
(Ezekiel 34:11)
Imagine yourself as that little sheep that’s wandered off—alone, lost, vulnerable. You’ve gotten yourself into real danger. Then you look up and see the shepherd running toward you, ready to rescue you.
Pastor Billy reminded us:
That shepherd is Jesus.
In John 10, Jesus says:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
(John 10:11)
There are “hired hands”—people who run when things get hard, or who use others for their own gain. But Jesus isn’t like that. He doesn’t abandon us when trouble shows up. He lays down His life for us. He knows us by name. He calls to us, and we can learn to recognize His voice.
Psalm 23: An Old Poem, A Present Reality
This image of a good shepherd connects directly with one of the most well-known passages in the Bible: Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
This isn’t just poetic language from long ago. It’s a description of how Jesus cares for people now.
Green pastures – He provides what we need.
Still waters – He leads us to places of rest and peace.
He restores my soul – He knows how tired, discouraged, or broken we can feel—and He meets us there.
Pastor Billy pointed out that all of us, at some point, have “wandered off.” All of us have messed up, chosen poorly, or tried to live life on our own terms. The Bible calls that sin, and it says bluntly:
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
“The wages of sin is death.”
(Romans 3:23; 6:23)
That’s the serious side of the story. But the good news is just as real: the Good Shepherd comes after us. He pulls us out of danger, forgives us, and gives us new life—both here and forever.
Even when we face death, Psalm 23 says:
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…”
We still walk through valleys. We still face loss, grief, and fear. But we do not face them alone.
Don’t Muddy the Water
The sermon then shifted to something very practical:
If God is so generous with His care and blessing, how should we live toward others?
Back in Ezekiel 34, God doesn’t just confront the leaders; He also speaks to the flock:
“Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture? … Must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?”
(Ezekiel 34:18–19)
The picture is vivid: Some sheep charge ahead, eat the best grass, drink the clear water—and then trample what’s left and muddy the water for everyone who comes after them.
That’s a picture of selfishness. It asks:
Are we thinking only of ourselves?
Do our choices make life harder for others?
Pastor Billy used a simple Boy Scouts motto to explain this: **Leave No Trace.**
Leave things as good as you found them—or better.
In spiritual terms:
- Do we leave people more hopeful or more discouraged?
- Do we share what we’ve been given, or do we hoard it?
- Do we care about how our decisions affect those around us?
Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25 that expands this idea. When He returns, He says He will separate people like a shepherd separates sheep from goats. How does He make the distinction?
He points to very ordinary, everyday acts:
- Feeding the hungry
- Giving water to the thirsty
- Welcoming the stranger
- Clothing those who lack basics
- Visiting the sick and those in prison
And then He says something incredible:
“As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
(Matthew 25:40)
How we treat the most vulnerable—the ones who can’t pay us back—is how we’re treating Him.
We don’t earn God’s love or acceptance by doing good things. That’s a gift of grace we receive through Jesus. But when that grace grips our hearts, it changes the way we live. Gratitude overflows into action.
We stop muddying the water. We start caring about the flock.
Showers in Every Season
Life comes to us in seasons. Ecclesiastes 3 puts it plainly:
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Some seasons are rich and full—things are going well, relationships are good, work is productive.
Other seasons feel dry, empty, confusing, or painful.
Ezekiel 34 says God makes a “covenant of peace” with His people and promises:
“I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.”
(Ezekiel 34:26)
The key phrase is: *in their season.*
Not all blessings look the same.
In times of sorrow, blessing may look like comfort, presence, and hope.
In times of confusion, blessing may look like guidance and clarity.
In dry times, blessing may look like a quiet, steady renewal.
Hosea 6:3 uses another image:
“He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”
After a dead, gray winter, the spring rains don’t just make things wet—they bring things back to life. New growth appears where there seemed to be nothing but bare ground.
That’s what God can do in us, even in hard times:
- Refresh what’s grown cold
- Revive what feels dead
- Grow something new out of what looked hopeless
---
Blessed Beyond What We See
Near the end of the message, Pastor Billy led us through a powerful passage from Ephesians 1. It says:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
(Ephesians 1:3)
It then describes some of those “spiritual blessings”:
- Being chosen and loved by God
- Being adopted into His family
- Being forgiven
- Being shown His will and purpose
- Receiving an eternal inheritance
- Being sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of what’s to come
We may not always *feel* blessed, especially in difficult seasons. But this passage reminds us that in Jesus, God has already given us more than we can see in any given moment.
Helen Steiner Rice summarized it this way in her poem *Showers of Blessings*:
“For no matter how big man’s dreams are,
God’s blessings are infinitely more.
Always God’s giving is greater
than what we are asking for.”
So What Do We Do With All This?
A few simple, honest responses:
1. **Let the Good Shepherd find you.**
Maybe you feel like that lost sheep—far from God, stuck in something you can’t fix. You can turn toward Jesus and ask Him to rescue you, forgive you, and lead you.
2. **Stop muddying the water.**
Consider where your choices may be making life harder for others—at home, at work, online, in your habits. Ask God to help you live in a way that leaves things better, not worse.
3. **Look for someone to bless.**
Maybe it’s a meal, a visit, a kind word, a listening ear, or practical help. According to Jesus, when you do it “for the least of these,” you’re doing it for Him.
4. **Trust God in your current season.**
Whatever you’re facing—loss, illness, uncertainty, or joy—ask:
“God, what are the showers of blessing You’re sending in *this* season?”
The blessing may not look like a quick fix, but He promises His presence, His care, and His hope.
Rainy days will come. Some will be literal, some deeply personal. But with the Good Shepherd, we can learn not just to endure them—but to find blessing in them. And sometimes, like Gene Kelly in that old movie, we may even discover that we can sing in the rain.
---
Scriptures Referenced
- Ezekiel 34:1–27
- John 10:11–15
- Psalm 23
- Romans 3:23
- Romans 6:23
- Proverbs 25:26
- Matthew 25:31–46
- Ecclesiastes 3:1
- Hosea 6:3
- Ephesians 1:3–14
by Pastor Billy
If you live in Pennsylvania, you don’t need anyone to explain rainy days to you. We know the sound of rain on the roof, the gray skies, the flooded gutters, the way plans suddenly change.
But have you noticed that rain can bring joy, too?
Pastor Billy opened with that classic scene from *Singin’ in the Rain*—Gene Kelly splashing in puddles, swinging around lampposts, singing at the top of his lungs on a stormy night. Nothing about the weather changed, but something inside him did. He was in love, full of joy, and it just had to come out—even in the downpour.
That picture sets the tone for what we explored together:
How can we experience deep blessing—even in the “rainy seasons” of life?
The Good Shepherd Who Comes Looking for Us
The message centered on a powerful image from the Bible: God as a shepherd, and us as His sheep.
In Ezekiel 34, God calls out the unfaithful leaders of Israel—the “shepherds” who were supposed to care for the people but instead took advantage of them. They fed themselves, not the flock. They ignored the weak, the sick, the injured, and the lost. They didn’t protect; they used.
So God makes a stunning promise:
“I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.”
(Ezekiel 34:11)
Imagine yourself as that little sheep that’s wandered off—alone, lost, vulnerable. You’ve gotten yourself into real danger. Then you look up and see the shepherd running toward you, ready to rescue you.
Pastor Billy reminded us:
That shepherd is Jesus.
In John 10, Jesus says:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
(John 10:11)
There are “hired hands”—people who run when things get hard, or who use others for their own gain. But Jesus isn’t like that. He doesn’t abandon us when trouble shows up. He lays down His life for us. He knows us by name. He calls to us, and we can learn to recognize His voice.
Psalm 23: An Old Poem, A Present Reality
This image of a good shepherd connects directly with one of the most well-known passages in the Bible: Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
This isn’t just poetic language from long ago. It’s a description of how Jesus cares for people now.
Green pastures – He provides what we need.
Still waters – He leads us to places of rest and peace.
He restores my soul – He knows how tired, discouraged, or broken we can feel—and He meets us there.
Pastor Billy pointed out that all of us, at some point, have “wandered off.” All of us have messed up, chosen poorly, or tried to live life on our own terms. The Bible calls that sin, and it says bluntly:
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
“The wages of sin is death.”
(Romans 3:23; 6:23)
That’s the serious side of the story. But the good news is just as real: the Good Shepherd comes after us. He pulls us out of danger, forgives us, and gives us new life—both here and forever.
Even when we face death, Psalm 23 says:
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…”
We still walk through valleys. We still face loss, grief, and fear. But we do not face them alone.
Don’t Muddy the Water
The sermon then shifted to something very practical:
If God is so generous with His care and blessing, how should we live toward others?
Back in Ezekiel 34, God doesn’t just confront the leaders; He also speaks to the flock:
“Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture? … Must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?”
(Ezekiel 34:18–19)
The picture is vivid: Some sheep charge ahead, eat the best grass, drink the clear water—and then trample what’s left and muddy the water for everyone who comes after them.
That’s a picture of selfishness. It asks:
Are we thinking only of ourselves?
Do our choices make life harder for others?
Pastor Billy used a simple Boy Scouts motto to explain this: **Leave No Trace.**
Leave things as good as you found them—or better.
In spiritual terms:
- Do we leave people more hopeful or more discouraged?
- Do we share what we’ve been given, or do we hoard it?
- Do we care about how our decisions affect those around us?
Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25 that expands this idea. When He returns, He says He will separate people like a shepherd separates sheep from goats. How does He make the distinction?
He points to very ordinary, everyday acts:
- Feeding the hungry
- Giving water to the thirsty
- Welcoming the stranger
- Clothing those who lack basics
- Visiting the sick and those in prison
And then He says something incredible:
“As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
(Matthew 25:40)
How we treat the most vulnerable—the ones who can’t pay us back—is how we’re treating Him.
We don’t earn God’s love or acceptance by doing good things. That’s a gift of grace we receive through Jesus. But when that grace grips our hearts, it changes the way we live. Gratitude overflows into action.
We stop muddying the water. We start caring about the flock.
Showers in Every Season
Life comes to us in seasons. Ecclesiastes 3 puts it plainly:
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Some seasons are rich and full—things are going well, relationships are good, work is productive.
Other seasons feel dry, empty, confusing, or painful.
Ezekiel 34 says God makes a “covenant of peace” with His people and promises:
“I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.”
(Ezekiel 34:26)
The key phrase is: *in their season.*
Not all blessings look the same.
In times of sorrow, blessing may look like comfort, presence, and hope.
In times of confusion, blessing may look like guidance and clarity.
In dry times, blessing may look like a quiet, steady renewal.
Hosea 6:3 uses another image:
“He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”
After a dead, gray winter, the spring rains don’t just make things wet—they bring things back to life. New growth appears where there seemed to be nothing but bare ground.
That’s what God can do in us, even in hard times:
- Refresh what’s grown cold
- Revive what feels dead
- Grow something new out of what looked hopeless
---
Blessed Beyond What We See
Near the end of the message, Pastor Billy led us through a powerful passage from Ephesians 1. It says:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
(Ephesians 1:3)
It then describes some of those “spiritual blessings”:
- Being chosen and loved by God
- Being adopted into His family
- Being forgiven
- Being shown His will and purpose
- Receiving an eternal inheritance
- Being sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of what’s to come
We may not always *feel* blessed, especially in difficult seasons. But this passage reminds us that in Jesus, God has already given us more than we can see in any given moment.
Helen Steiner Rice summarized it this way in her poem *Showers of Blessings*:
“For no matter how big man’s dreams are,
God’s blessings are infinitely more.
Always God’s giving is greater
than what we are asking for.”
So What Do We Do With All This?
A few simple, honest responses:
1. **Let the Good Shepherd find you.**
Maybe you feel like that lost sheep—far from God, stuck in something you can’t fix. You can turn toward Jesus and ask Him to rescue you, forgive you, and lead you.
2. **Stop muddying the water.**
Consider where your choices may be making life harder for others—at home, at work, online, in your habits. Ask God to help you live in a way that leaves things better, not worse.
3. **Look for someone to bless.**
Maybe it’s a meal, a visit, a kind word, a listening ear, or practical help. According to Jesus, when you do it “for the least of these,” you’re doing it for Him.
4. **Trust God in your current season.**
Whatever you’re facing—loss, illness, uncertainty, or joy—ask:
“God, what are the showers of blessing You’re sending in *this* season?”
The blessing may not look like a quick fix, but He promises His presence, His care, and His hope.
Rainy days will come. Some will be literal, some deeply personal. But with the Good Shepherd, we can learn not just to endure them—but to find blessing in them. And sometimes, like Gene Kelly in that old movie, we may even discover that we can sing in the rain.
---
Scriptures Referenced
- Ezekiel 34:1–27
- John 10:11–15
- Psalm 23
- Romans 3:23
- Romans 6:23
- Proverbs 25:26
- Matthew 25:31–46
- Ecclesiastes 3:1
- Hosea 6:3
- Ephesians 1:3–14
Posted in Authentic Faith, Belief, Christian Living, Faith and Transformation, Gospel / Good News, Grace, Healing, Seasons, Joy
Posted in jesus, Living, Seasons, Care, Blessings
Posted in jesus, Living, Seasons, Care, Blessings
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