By Joanna Pierce
Years ago, the saying “April showers bring May flowers” was almost an absolute guarantee. April was known as the rainy season, and we didn’t dare walk outside the house without an umbrella or we’d get wet. Today, we have transitioned into an era when bur seasons are becoming skewed, and when meteorologists try to “predict” the coming rains, we can’t help but smile. Rain in April isn’t always the norm and doesn’t happen consistently—we start to chalk up the possibility of precipitation as happenstance; just a fluke…we start to doubt.
Our earthly ministries and walk with God are much like the precarious rain. We experience continual downpours of revival. Numbers of believers filled with the Holy Ghost are higher than ever before. Signs and wonders frequently take place after fervent prayer.
But then, our “guaranteed” formula for a downpour isn’t as effective as before. Church events don’t pan out the way we think they should. Saints just aren’t tarrying at the altars anymore. Pastors forecast a great move of God in the coming Sunday service, and we— just as we do with April showers—start to doubt.
As we innocently place a toe in the seemingly shallow puddle of doubt, we don’t realize how deep that pool actually is. We start asking questions such as: Does God really hear our prayers? Are we in the will of God? Is all of this really worth it? Was the revival actually genuine?
Doubt in our walk with God is a place we don’t want to be. James 1 :6-7 tells us, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord…” (KJV). “Wavering” in this scripture is from the Greek word diakrino, meaning doubt. When we start to let doubt creep in —in any capacity during our relationship with God—Scripture warns we won’t receive anything from the Lord.
Doubt can be a perpetual cycle: we doubt, God won’t bless us; we doubt further, God continues to withhold Himself from us. This will continue until we become so consumed with doubt, we may find ourselves actually walking away from God and His truth.
We can’t treat the promises of God, His presence, and His blessings as we do the silly April showers. Earthly rain is not a guarantee, but God’s rain is. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 simply states that “the Lord is faithful” (KJV). Hebrews 13:15 reminds us that God will never leave or forsake us. God is true to His Word and unchanging—He will always be there for us!
God may hide Himself from us for a while just to see how serious we are about His presence in our life—that we don’t take Him for granted. We may experience a trial in our life, a decrease in spiritual fervency in our church, etc. Regardless of the circumstance, all will lead us to a greater outpouring of His presence in our life. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, KiV).
If we stay faithful in our walk with God—not allowing a smidgen of doubt to seep in—I can guarantee that when God shows up, we won’t just get a sprinkle of His presence, we’ll experience a downpour.
Joanna Pierce attends Apostolic Pentecostal Church in Bloomington, Illinois, under the pastorship of Rev. Bradley Nave, where she serves in the ladies, music, media and outreach ministries. Joanna holds a local license with the UPCI, and evangelizes in the district and local community.
