Chosen Grace

As the month of May has begun, this old saying keeps popping up into my head:

“April showers produce May flowers.”

I’m sure that many of you reading this is familiar with this phrase. I’ve heard it since childhood and it always put a smile on my face.

Yet, as I pondered about this verse, The Lord began to minister to me just how applicable this phrase is to our lives. Let’s check it out in the verses below:

^” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

– 1 Peter 5:6-9, NIV

I absolutely love the book of 1 Peter because the Lord has used it time and time again to shape, correct, and love me. It also helps that Apostle Peter, being a roughneck, did not sugar coat. He came with some heat- that definetely challenged how I view “April Showers”.

You see, Apostle Peter is letting us know – off rip- that in our walk we must humble ourselves before The Only Living God. Why? Because God is holy and He deserves respect, honor, and glory. And in order to see Him work in our lives- we must submit ourselves willinglly to His will and plans.

Now, this sounds all fine and dandy until we have to walk through a hard season. These seasons are where the storms of life begin to manifest and appear. To be honest, I’m in a very transformative season right now. Things are changing in my life and I haven’t always been happy and peaceful about it. In fact, just a few days ago, I was angry and frustrated at my situation because in my eyes- it just does not make sense nor feel right.

And maybe you reading this have felt or are currently feeling the same way I did. Maybe you’re believing God for a car, house, spouse, or relief from anxious thoughts. And it seems as if God is just allowing the rain to pour down with no hope of sunshine. All you can see is hardship. And all you feel is sadness.

And yet, the Apostle Peter in the verses above encourages us that when the storms of life appear (and they will) to cast our cares upon The Lord. This is because only God can shield us when the rain does come. When we make God our refuge and our strength, He will become our very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46).

Not only must we humble ourselves when the April showers come, we must pay attention to our enemy, Satan. Apostle Peter notes above that Satan is constantly prowling around, acting like a roaring lion. In Job, the writer notes that Satan walks to and fro among the Earth (1:7). Now, I love this imagery in the Bible because it is letting us know that we have a real enemy that isn’t our mom, sister, or neighbor (Ephesians 6). Our enemy is Satan and all his demons.

When April showers appear in our life, Satan uses these moments as a way to disctract us from seeking God. He will take our emotions and manipulate them- twisting our hurt, anger, or fear into much more. He will use our weak moments to pullute our minds with doubts and lies, such as:

Maybe God won’t come through for me?

Did God make a mistake by creating me like this?

Shoot, God is taking too long. Let me handle it. You only live once, afterall.

Because Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), He’ll never give us truth. So it is imperative that we listen to God’s truth about Himself and us in Scripture.

Finally, Apostle Peter encourages us that we are not alone in our sufferings. When each of us decided to become apart of God’s Kingdom plan, we automatically signed up for hardships, test, and trials. And as scary as it can sound- it’s really a good thing! James 1 let’s us know that those who stand firm during trials are blessed. And if we stand- we will recieve the crown of life. Galatians 6:9 reminds us that we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. So do not give up, my friends.

Before I end this blog post, I want to share one final scripture with you all:

^” And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

1 Peter 5:10, ESV

You see, what the Apsotle Peter is discussing in this verse is what the entire phrase “April showers bring May flowers” is all about.

You see, May flowers don’t just appear. They have to endure the April showers. In order for a plant to grow, it must have a water source. And God – in His soverignty- will allow some rainy circumstances to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. What God allows during hard seasons is meant to grow our roots deeper and more secure in Him.

As I said earlier- I’m enduring a very transformative season. But, through my tears and frustrations, God has lovingly let me know that as I wait for Him, He’s right there with me. Isaiah 43:2 says that when you pass through the waters, He’ll be with you.

I say this to not only encourage and minister to myself, but to you reading. Friend, I know it gets hard sometimes and I know that it can be frustrating. But take heart! God is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent (Numbers 23:19). Isaiah 55 says that His word will not return to us void. God is gonna do what He said. Just keep believing and recieving His truths for you. He is good!

The verse above reminds us also about the timing of God. As God is soverign and holy- everything He does has a specific timing to it. God is intentional that way. We can rest knowing that we serve a God that is purposeful and in His perfect timing- He will do what he promised swiftly (Isaiah 60:22).

As I close, I want to remind us all that in our Christian walk, we will suffer. We’re gonna have some hard times. The storms of life will appear- but they won’t last always. The sun is gonna shine again. The ground will be nourishing once more. Your May flowers will come- and they’ll be more than you could have ever asked, thought about, or imagined.

With a new love for April showers,

Malaysia 🙂