“Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields.”
(Job 5:10)
Rain is a fairly ordinary event. Yet it bears the mark of divine wisdom and greatness. We can observe the wind, temperature, clouds, and other secondary causes connected with rainfall, but Scripture carries us beyond these means to the One who governs them. As Job tells us, God is the One who gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields. What appears common to us is still an act of providence, ordered by His wisdom and accomplished by His power.
The value of this gift becomes especially clear in seasons of drought. Fields cannot water themselves in order to make themselves fruitful, seeds cannot direct the clouds, and human strength cannot manufacture the blessing required for increase. The earth depends on its Maker. He sends fruitful seasons, enriches the ground, preserves life, and supplies what we need. Rain is therefore not just a natural occurrence, but a testimony to the continual care of the Creator for the world He has made.[1]
The gift of rain also illustrates the greatness of God in what men may consider small things. The great God does not concern Himself only with extraordinary events; He also attends to fields, crops, seasons, and the countless ordinary necessities on which we depend. Moreover, nothing is beneath His providential care. The smallest work becomes great when we consider it for what it is—the work of God—because it displays the wisdom, power, and goodness of the One who performs it.
Men may describe many processes within creation, but they cannot exhaust the wisdom by which God orders them all together. The whole system of seasons, growth, nourishment, and preservation exceeds human comprehension. And every new discovery only reveals further evidence of divine order and dependence. The more carefully the works are considered, the more clearly the greatness of the Worker appears.
God’s providence in nature also extends to His providence toward His people. The One who sends rain on the fields is able to lift those who are low and bring those who mourn into safety. The God who can revive dry ground can also change afflicting circumstances. His works of provision in creation display a power that is indeed also fully sufficient for His works of mercy and deliverance.
The spiritual works of God reveal an even greater glory. Creation and providence display His greatness, but redemption displays a greater work still. The God who supplies the earth with rain also provides that great salvation which no creature could provide.
God’s works in nature, providence, mercy, and redemption all bear witness to His character. The believer therefore has reason to adore Him not only in extraordinary deliverances, but in common mercies easily overlooked. Every shower upon the field is another reminder that our great God remains actively present in the smallest details of His creation.
Contemplations:
- Adoring You as the Giver of Every Ordinary Mercy. You give rain on the earth and water the fields. What I may easily call ordinary is still Your work because You govern the clouds, the seasons, the soil, and the increase that follows. I adore You because the common mercies of life are not beneath Your attention. You are present in what happens every day, supplying needs that I often receive without sufficient thought. Every fruitful field, every refreshed plant, and every season of provision bear witness to Your care. Teach me to see Your hand in mercies that familiarity has made easy to overlook.
- Adoring Your Greatness in Small Things. You are the great God, yet You attend to the smallest aspects of Your creation. Nothing is too insignificant for Your providence. Not only do you rule over nations, You also govern the rain, the growth of seed, and the needs of creatures hidden from human notice. I adore You because Your greatness is demonstrated not only in what astonishes me, but in the countless quiet works that sustain life every moment.
- Adoring Your Unsearchable Works. Your works exceed my understanding. I may grasp some of the means You employ, but I cannot comprehend the wisdom by which You order creation and providence. You connect causes, seasons, needs, and results in ways beyond my understanding. The more I learn of what You have made, the more reason I have to wonder at what remains beyond me. Your works are great, unsearchable, wonderful, and without number.
- Adoring Your Power to Raise the Lowly. The One who refreshes dry ground is also able to revive those who are brought low. You can send provision where there was nothing and safety where there was fear. No condition is beyond Your power to change. You are able to strengthen the afflicted and accomplish spiritual works greater than anything seen in nature. Above all, You have displayed Your power in the salvation You provided through Christ. The God who gives rain on the earth is also the God who gives every greater mercy needed by Your people.
Prayer (Adoration):
Great and gracious God, I adore You as the giver of rain, the ruler of the seasons, and the provider of every good thing necessary for life. You send waters on the fields, refresh the earth, and cause it to bring forth its increase.
I praise You because nothing is too small for Your providential care. You attend to the ordinary details of creation with the same wisdom by which You govern its greatest events. Every common mercy bears the mark of Your hand.
I adore You for the greatness of Your works. Even those things that seem small become wonderful when considered as Your works. Your wisdom directs them, Your power accomplishes them, and Your goodness makes them beneficial to Your creatures.
I praise You because Your works are unsearchable and without number. I cannot trace all Your ways or comprehend the fullness of Your wisdom. But what I can know gives me reason to worship, and what remains beyond my knowledge gives me further reason to bow before You.
I adore You also for Your power to raise those who are low and comfort those who mourn. You can bring fruitfulness from barrenness and safety from distress. Your providential works give continual evidence that nothing is beyond Your ability.
Above all, I praise You for the greater work of redemption through Jesus Christ. The God who supplies the earth has also supplied salvation. Let every mercy in creation and providence lead my heart upward to adore You as the great Worker whose deeds are worthy of great praise.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Further Scripture References:
Job 37:6; Jer. 14:22; Acts 14:17; Lev. 26:4
[1] Arthur Jackson, Annotations upon the Five Books, (London: Roger Daniel, for the author .., 1658), 28.
