THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL
The Sound of Rain.
By Shelley Quinn December 5th, 2025
“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.”
James 5:7
I will never forget the year my husband J. D. and I relocated to his home town in central Texas. It was in the middle of a seven-year drought, and the ground was so hardened it had split open with wide cracks. A person had to be mighty careful where they stepped. I immediately joined my voice to the chorus of the locals in earnest prayer for rain.
Finally, it happened! Lying in bed one night, I heard the sound of rain pitter-pattering on our tin roof. The welcomed noise intensified as it rained harder. I bounded out of bed to look out the window and rejoice. As the storm blew in, it brought a Texas “gully washer” (an extremely heavy downpour).
The next morning I couldn’t wait to go outside and see how refreshed everything would be. To my amazement, however, the ground was not softened one bit. It had been so hardened by drought that the rain simply ran off and collected in the tanks (Texas talk for “ponds”), which were located on lower ground. Suddenly, the Lord impressed me with this thought: So it will be in the time of the latter rain. Those who have not been softened by the influence of the Holy Spirit beforehand will not be prepared to receive the final outpouring of My Spirit.
The Bible speaks of the “early” rain and the “latter” rain. Symbolically, this is interpreted as the initial and final outpourings of the Holy Spirit. Christians around the world pray for the latter rain experience, but to be ready to receive it we must be filled with the self-sacrificing love of God—an evidence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
If we haven’t received the “early” influence of the Spirit, the final outpouring will roll off our hardened hearts like water off a duck’s back—just as that gulley washer rolled over the drought-stricken ground.
We don’t want to miss His latter rain. With humble hearts, let’s purpose to pray daily to be filled with the Holy Spirit, who will lead us on God’s path of life. May God help us not to take the presence of His Spirit for granted! Pray each day to be filled with His love and His zeal for the salvation of others. And pray for the “latter rain” with the same fervor that Elijah prayed. I believe the message Elijah’s servant delivered so many centuries ago can be proclaimed to today’s church: “There is a cloud…rising out of the sea!” (1 Kings 18:44). I think I hear the sound of rain!
The Sound of Rain.
By Shelley Quinn December 5th, 2025
“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.”
James 5:7
I will never forget the year my husband J. D. and I relocated to his home town in central Texas. It was in the middle of a seven-year drought, and the ground was so hardened it had split open with wide cracks. A person had to be mighty careful where they stepped. I immediately joined my voice to the chorus of the locals in earnest prayer for rain.
Finally, it happened! Lying in bed one night, I heard the sound of rain pitter-pattering on our tin roof. The welcomed noise intensified as it rained harder. I bounded out of bed to look out the window and rejoice. As the storm blew in, it brought a Texas “gully washer” (an extremely heavy downpour).
The next morning I couldn’t wait to go outside and see how refreshed everything would be. To my amazement, however, the ground was not softened one bit. It had been so hardened by drought that the rain simply ran off and collected in the tanks (Texas talk for “ponds”), which were located on lower ground. Suddenly, the Lord impressed me with this thought: So it will be in the time of the latter rain. Those who have not been softened by the influence of the Holy Spirit beforehand will not be prepared to receive the final outpouring of My Spirit.
The Bible speaks of the “early” rain and the “latter” rain. Symbolically, this is interpreted as the initial and final outpourings of the Holy Spirit. Christians around the world pray for the latter rain experience, but to be ready to receive it we must be filled with the self-sacrificing love of God—an evidence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
If we haven’t received the “early” influence of the Spirit, the final outpouring will roll off our hardened hearts like water off a duck’s back—just as that gulley washer rolled over the drought-stricken ground.
We don’t want to miss His latter rain. With humble hearts, let’s purpose to pray daily to be filled with the Holy Spirit, who will lead us on God’s path of life. May God help us not to take the presence of His Spirit for granted! Pray each day to be filled with His love and His zeal for the salvation of others. And pray for the “latter rain” with the same fervor that Elijah prayed. I believe the message Elijah’s servant delivered so many centuries ago can be proclaimed to today’s church: “There is a cloud…rising out of the sea!” (1 Kings 18:44). I think I hear the sound of rain!
THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL
The Sound of Rain.
By Shelley Quinn December 5th, 2025
“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.”
James 5:7
I will never forget the year my husband J. D. and I relocated to his home town in central Texas. It was in the middle of a seven-year drought, and the ground was so hardened it had split open with wide cracks. A person had to be mighty careful where they stepped. I immediately joined my voice to the chorus of the locals in earnest prayer for rain.
Finally, it happened! Lying in bed one night, I heard the sound of rain pitter-pattering on our tin roof. The welcomed noise intensified as it rained harder. I bounded out of bed to look out the window and rejoice. As the storm blew in, it brought a Texas “gully washer” (an extremely heavy downpour).
The next morning I couldn’t wait to go outside and see how refreshed everything would be. To my amazement, however, the ground was not softened one bit. It had been so hardened by drought that the rain simply ran off and collected in the tanks (Texas talk for “ponds”), which were located on lower ground. Suddenly, the Lord impressed me with this thought: So it will be in the time of the latter rain. Those who have not been softened by the influence of the Holy Spirit beforehand will not be prepared to receive the final outpouring of My Spirit.
The Bible speaks of the “early” rain and the “latter” rain. Symbolically, this is interpreted as the initial and final outpourings of the Holy Spirit. Christians around the world pray for the latter rain experience, but to be ready to receive it we must be filled with the self-sacrificing love of God—an evidence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
If we haven’t received the “early” influence of the Spirit, the final outpouring will roll off our hardened hearts like water off a duck’s back—just as that gulley washer rolled over the drought-stricken ground.
We don’t want to miss His latter rain. With humble hearts, let’s purpose to pray daily to be filled with the Holy Spirit, who will lead us on God’s path of life. May God help us not to take the presence of His Spirit for granted! Pray each day to be filled with His love and His zeal for the salvation of others. And pray for the “latter rain” with the same fervor that Elijah prayed. I believe the message Elijah’s servant delivered so many centuries ago can be proclaimed to today’s church: “There is a cloud…rising out of the sea!” (1 Kings 18:44). I think I hear the sound of rain!
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