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The coastal bend of South Texas has been under a historic drought for about the past three years. We didn’t have a Spring… everything was dead and dry. The reservoirs got as low as 8% total capacity and Corpus Christi was under severe water restrictions.
Of course as Christians we prayed for relief… for local rain and rain in our watershed which feeds our reservoirs.
Of course there was no answer to our prayers and for me personally I just kind of gave up on the prayers. I would still mention the need for rain in my prayers but after a while futility and disappointment set in and it didn’t seem too much like God cared about it one way or the other.
Finally we got some local rains and it greened up and the flowers bloomed and the birds started singing and we began seeing butterflies again. Hope started stirring in my heart but the reservoirs were still almost empty and we couldn’t water our plants because of the water restrictions.
And then something crazy happened we started getting historic rains. Where? Right where we needed it, in our watershed. The Frio river caused Lake Choke Canyon to to raise to about 25%. The Nueces river looks like it is going to fill Lake Corpus Christi to 100%.
We almost never see that kind of rain in our watershed. My personal opinion is that this rain was from the hand of God.
Things to learn; trust in God, his actions might not fit our timetable but he is all we have. Satan sure isn’t going to help us. Keep praying no matter what. God always answers the needs of his people.
I’m reminded of the old joke told in West Texas that when God flooded the earth West Texas only got four inches.
I’m also reminded of when our daughter moved to Houston and worked in a corporate office and a thunderstorm brewed up and she walked to the window to watch it. Her co-workers asked her what she was doing. She said you don’t understand where I’m from. When it rains we stop and watch God’s wonderful blessed gift.
Deep South Texas has spells of drought and always will but God can break a drought. Just pray.
The word “spirit” occurs 388 times in the Old Testament. Out of a total of 592,000 words it occurs 0.12% of the time.
The word “spirit” occurs 379 times in the New Testament. Out of a total of 176,000 words it occurs 0.28% of the time… over twice as much.
Obviously the New Testament emphasizes “spirit” more than The Old Testament does.
That was fun and revealing but lets check another word. The phrase “eternal life” only occurs one time in the Old Testament (Daniel 12:2).
The same phrase occurs 42 times in the New Testament.
Colossians 2:16-17…
"Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ”
Let me suggest that in the Old Testament we were introduced (foreshadowed) to and learned some things about the Holy Spirit. However, in the New Testament the concept of the Holy Spirit was more fully developed (substantiated) and especially his role in our eternal destiny.
The concept of eternal salvation for all of mankind was almost completely a foreign concept in the Old Testament. Imagine the surprise of God’s people Israel when they learned that all people of faith could share in God’s Holy Spirit and His free gift of eternal salvation.
