Jeremiah 14:4 "The ground is cracked because there is no rain in the land; the farmers are dismayed and cover their heads."
Every year, at this time of the year, we find ourselves praying for rain. The farmers have prepared their soils and planted seed. Without timely rains all that time and investment will be wasted. Droughts produce famine and famine produces wide spread hunger. It's that simple. And so we pray for rain.
The rains this year have been incredible. Often, several days in a row and through the nights pounding down on the ground satisfying the thirsty farmlands yet flooding streets, homes and sometimes damaging almost everything in which they come in contact. The problem is that the homes and streets have not been adequately prepared to receive this amount of rain. The gutters are clogged with debris. The roofs have holes that have not been repaired. And so damage ensues. We want the rains knowing that without them there is no harvest, but we don't take the time to prepare for them and we end up with the damage they bring. As I drove through the flooded streets I was reminded of how this is often like our spiritual lives. We pray for the reign of God to fall upon us knowing that it will produce the spiritual growth that we so very much desire and need in order to live victorious lives. However if we are not ready for Him, if we have not removed the junk that clogs our spiritual lives and made the necessary repairs, we will miss out on the fruit His reign can produce. 
Today, let's commit ourselves to not just pray for the Lord's reign but also to check those gutters and drains. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to show us what might be causing clogs in our spiritual lives. Let's deal with those repairs; confession of sin, un-forgiveness, apathy, etc.... Let us continue to pray for His Reign, His growth in us and His fruit for the advancement of His kingdom. Amen.
