Prepare for Rain – Facing the Giants and Watch Them Fall

Prepare for the blessing

I love the scene in FACING THE GIANTS when Mr. Bridges came to coach Grant Taylor and said,

“I heard a story of two farmers praying to God for rain to come. Both prayed but only one prepared the land. Who do you think trusted God more to send the rain?

At the end of the movie Couch Taylor was planning a crazy move that was VERY risky.  He made the call for a runt of a kid to kick an impossible field goal that could win the game or be known as the dumbest move a coach could make.  One of the other coaches asked Grant Taylor, “What on earth he was doing?”  Coach Taylor said the he was “Preparing for rain.”  A breeze kicked up and Coach Taylor gave the command, “Kick it NOW!  Kick it NOW!”  Then we watched the football slowly sail through the air to win the game against the Giants.

This illustrates what faith LOOKS like.  Faith is and expectation that what God promised will manifest in your life.  Therefore, faith prepares to receive the promise.

We wanted more…

Sandy (my wife) and I lived in a home and neighborhood we didn’t like much.  When we moved in, it was fine, but over time the neighborhood changed and it was not changing into an area we were proud to live in.  I didn’t like telling people where we lived.  Was it really that bad?  No, but it was to me.  I WANTED better.  I WANTED more.

The problem was we didn’t have the money or even the hope that we could leave that home for one that we desired.  I wanted to live near a suburb in the Columbus, OH called New Albany.  Frankly, I could not SEE how that could happen.  We were broke and barely getting by as it was.  We just learned to accept the “reality” that we were stuck.

A couple of years ago Sandy and I decided to start looking at houses.  We looked in the area the I wanted to live in.  It was fun and what we SAW got the juices flowing.  We started to dream.  Nothing changed financially and I could not SEE how WE could make this happen.  Well, guess what?  WE didn’t have to make it happen.  God is the provider.  God desired for us to have what WE desired.  I just didn’t realize this at the time.  I lived on earth with my head in heaven.  That isn’t “spiritual,” it’s stupid!  The truth is that God wants heaven on earth!  He gives us he power to create wealth and we don’t have to wait for heaven to get it!

A law you shouldn’t ignore…

Let me add at this point that we were faithful tither’s, plus we were partners with two ministries.  This means that we gave ABOVE the tithe every month.  There are PROMISES regarding the tithe and offerings in the Bible.  We were learning that money is a seed that can be sown for a harvest of our choice.  I know, this sounds like giving to get, but think about it.  What farmer sows seed without expectation of return?  What employee sows his time into a company not expecting a paycheck?  God set up laws that govern this universe and one of them is sowing and reaping.  This is all I will say about giving at is time.  Just trust me, this law works EVERY TIME.  Now back to my story…

The increase came…

Because we were faithful to God’s law of sowing and reaping we began to see an increase in our income.  In one year my income went from about $70,000 to $136,000!  This is not my doing.  I am not that smart!  Needless to say this began to give us some hope, so we contacted a realtor and put our home up for sale.  This happened so fast, my head spins thinking about it!  Within 6 months we were in our new home about one mile from New Albany, in the exact community that we WANTED to live in.  Not only that, but we filled this home with new EVERYTHING and did it with cash!  We loved going shopping and picking out the furniture and appliances we WANTED and not having to live with the hand-me-downs we were accustomed to.

How we see ourselves…

What I just shared with you is how Sandy and I “prepared for rain.”  We took actions, by faith, to get to the place we desired.  We tithed, we offered, we put our home up for sale and went out looking at new homes.  We could finally SEE ourselves in the houses we were looking at.  We could SEE beautiful furnishings in our new home.  We SAW all this BEFORE it happened by putting ourselves into situations that stretched our faith.  All of this was our way of “preparing for rain.”

I am here to tell you that no matter where you are in life, no matter how broke or sick you are, there is a way OUT.  It’s God, His promises, and His faithfulness to do EXACTLY what He said.  We MUST believe that He IS and that He is a REWARDER of those who SEEK HIM.

You just must do what Coach Taylor did; what Sandy and I did, and what countless others have done.  You must prepare for rain.  If you are not a faithful tither, become one.  If you don’t offer, do so.  If it’s a new car or home you desire, start looking at them and keep looking at them UNTIL YOU SEE YOURSELF in possession of them.  These are all acts of faith…acts of preparing for rain.

Believe the impossible…

Back in 2011 I was WANTING a new car.  I had a 2001 Toyota Avalon with well over 200,000 miles on it.  I had an accident with it on a jobsite while I was working and I could not afford to even get it fixed because we ended up using the insurance money to pay bills!

There is a Toyota dealership I frequently visited.  I looked and dreamed of owning a NEW car.  But let me tell you, it was humanly IMPOSSIBLE for that to happen.  I visited that dealership dozens of time for months.  Finally, one day, I just sat there looking at Toyota Camry’s.  By that time, the 2012’s were out and I WANTED one!  As I pondered on how I could have what I was LOOKING at,  I told the Lord, “I really need a new car.”  The response I heard in my heart after I prayed that was, “I’ve got you covered.”  I was shocked and responded with hesitation, “Well…ooookaaay?”  That was November of 2011.

On January 5, 2012, I was handed the keys to a brand new 2012 Toyota Camry by my employers!  There is a story behind this that I will not share now.  But I would ask, “How did that happen?”  God WANTS to give us the desires of our heart, but faith must be present for that to happen.  My faith was built up by my constant visits to that Toyota dealership, my prayers, and my trust in God and His promises (contained in His Word).  These “activities” were my way of preparing for rain.

Now it’s your turn...

What God has done for me He WILL do for you.  God is not a respecter of persons.  He doesn’t pick and choose who He will bless.  As He told many who were healed in the New Testament, “According to your faith let it be done for you.”  God has ALREADY decided that you live a long and prosperous life.  Now YOU must decide to face your giants and watch them fall.  You prepare for rain!  May God richly bless you as you pursue Him!  Now go out there and prepare for your miracles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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