May 31
"And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them."
- Ezekiel 34:26-27 (RSV)
Are you going through a “drought” in certain areas of your life right now? If so, you may be experiencing a dry season spiritually and may be seeking some ways to get back to a better relationship with God. Or perhaps you are emotionally parched. Maybe someone close to you or a difficult situation has drained all your emotional strength and left you feel dried out inwardly. Perhaps finances seem down to a trickle and are drying up. If so, it may be time to seek God!
Ezekiel says our Lord has showers of blessings to offer to you! The word “shower” in Hebrew is geshem, meaning to “rain violently, pour down in heavy showers.” Our scripture today says God wants to rain blessings in your life! Ezekiel isn't talking about sprinkles or light May rains of blessings. He wants to pour down heavy showers of abundant, glorious, wonderful blessings on you!
Have you ever been caught up in a huge downpour of rain? It can be overwhelming. But the benefits are worth it. Crops grow, field flourish, the harvest is abundant, and the wells and rivers are replenished for the dry times ahead. Even if we are soaked from head to toe, it's worth it. Or as that wise old saying remind us, "Without the rain, there would be no rainbow". Ezekiel says God wants to drench, soak and saturate His children with His love, goodness, grace, mercy, and kindness. The Lord wants to flood you with blessings! Don't worry because your rainbow promises are coming soon!
Prayer:
God,
Thank you for Showers of Blessing.
Amen.
Meditation For The Day:
God's rain brings great gain.
Rev. Dr. Mary B Johnson - Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring Renewal (Seasonal Devotionals)
Paperback – February 21, 2017
Used with permission of the family of the late Rev. Dr. Mary B. Johnson.
Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson, D.Min., (1942-2018)
Mary was Ordained in 1975.
She served both as a Parish Pastor and in multiple Specialized Ministry Settings.
She worked on the Clinical Staff of New England Memorial Hospital and Middleton Pastoral
Counseling Center in Massachusetts and was a Director of Green Pastures Counseling Centers in N.H.
She was a state Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor,
Nationally Board-Certified Counselor (N.C.C.), and Nationally Certified Pastoral Counselor (AAPC)
and held certification as a Clinical Member of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (A.C.P.E.).
She received a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Psychology and Clinical Studies
from Andover Newton in Newton, MA.
Dr. Johnson also founded Good News Specialized Ministries, Inc.
This unique ministry provided education and Clinical Christian Counseling to thousands of people over the decades and trained numerous Clinical Counselors and Counseling Ministers while offering weekly non-denominational worship services to the community for more than 20 years.
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I had the honor and privilege of working with Pastor Arnie Johnson
when I served as the pastor for the Richmond Community United Methodist Church in Richmond, NH from 2019 - 2022.
I personally have been deeply touched by Mary's writings. Her family has graciously allowed me to share them with you. - Pastor Sharon Sargent
"I always considered my ministry at Richmond as a shared ministry. Mary had the expertise that helped me function as well as I did. I received critiques on the way home after the services. I finally realized that I may have “arrived” when one day she was pleased with my performance with no critique! That took several years! So, I would love it if you would use the picture of the two of us and mention Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson as my spouse and partner in ministry, and she continued to be until the day she died, four days before the end of my appointment at Richmond." - Pastor Arnie Johnson
Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson is the author of eight other published books including:
"Activating The Power Of Pastoral Care: A Team Approach";
"Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter Renewal"(Vol.1-4);
"Flying Free: Transforming Grief and Loss into Renewal";
Following The Angel Trail: In The Steps Of Jesus";
"Love In Action: The Healing Heritage Of The Counseling Ministry Of The Church";
"Visions Of Hope: Voices Of Americana";
"Healing Streams: Journeys Of Healing".
She has also been published in the AAPC professional Journal "Journeys" and in the Keene Sentinel.