Have you ever been drenched? Drenched right through every layer of clothing? Recently I was out walking and got caught in torrential rain. I kept trying to pull my hood tighter around my face as I could feel the water getting in and running down my body. My jacket was failing to protect me. As I reluctantly squelched along, out the corner of my hood I saw a lady walking past me. She looked like she was enjoying herself, she had stripped off her wet jacket and had tied it around her waist, she was bounding along embracing the experience.
It made me think of how we react to God’s work in our lives. God wants to drench us with his love by the work of his Holy Spirit in our lives. We can fight it, try to protect ourselves and choose to do things our way. Alternatively, we can embrace it and surrender to his work. We can let him in to every part of our lives, and as in the words of a popular song we sing “I Surrender” – Drench my soul as mercy and grace unfold…Like a mighty storm, stir within my soul, Lord have your way, Lord have your way in me.
God has always been waiting to have people surrender to him. His plan was to be in relationship with us, and yet he has allowed us to have free will and choice. His promise is to drench us with his love:
Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessings on your children.
Revelation 3: 20
Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
He is waiting for us to respond with our whole heart and our whole life. Are you hanging on to your jacket, hiding under your hood, or are you going to throw it off, embrace God and let his drenching love pour into your life.