Abundant Rain

By Susie O'Neal

Struggles, situations, past hurts, and regrets can lead us to feel overwhelmed and spiritually dry. This forty-day devotional will take you on a journey of self-exploration through the Word of God and bring you life-giving water to quench your thirsty soul. Each well-designed daily devotional includes the following:- a relevant and relatable topic- scriptures that are oriented to the subject matter- a devotional passage consisting of personal and biblical observations that are related to the topic- a unique and creative journal prompt that is designed for personal application of the material - journal pages that are meant to complete the prompt and space for observations, reflection, impressions, and questions- a prayer or a suggestion for a prayer so you can personally speak with the Lord as you finish your devotional for the daySpend time drinking from the fountain of living water. You may be in a dry place now, but there is a cloud beginning to swell!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098039806

Book preview

Day One: The One Who Sees

The One Who Sees

Psalm 33:18; Proverbs 15:3; Job 34:21

You are a God of seeing, for she said, Truly here I have him who looks after me (Genesis 16:6–14).

I have been in situations where I felt invisible. I have been in a room full of people but felt very alone. There have been moments when I felt like a ghost; people looked through me, not at me.

Blaming others for not noticing me is probably not fair. I take some responsibility for feeling that way. Social situations have always been difficult for me. I am the consummate introvert—quiet, shy, and unassuming. If it were socially acceptable, I would bring a book to a party, find a quiet spot where I could read, and have a wonderful time alone. I don’t desire to be the center of attention, be the funniest person in the room, or be the one who always seems to have the spotlight; it’s just not who I am.

I wonder which category you fall into.

It can be difficult when you feel like no one can see the real you. It is even harder when you feel like you must hide the real you. Much of the anxiety I feel in social situations stems from the fear that if I reached out to others, they would not like me. This fear exists because I have been in situations where I felt unwanted.

In Genesis 16, we meet Hagar, an Egyptian slave forced to conceive a child with Abraham at the behest of his wife, Sarah, who could not conceive. Hagar suddenly finds herself in a position where she is forced to become invisible; she has become unwanted.

When Hagar becomes pregnant, Sarah despises her for it. Seething with jealousy, Sarah wants Hagar to disappear. Her presence is only a constant reminder of her own disappointment and insecurities. After treating her harshly, Sarah sends Hagar away.

Hagar is quickly thrust into the wilderness; she is stuck between what was and what is, and now she is unsure of what will be. She is like a ghost; she wanders aimlessly and feels so very alone.

I imagine this young pregnant girl and how she must have felt—so scared, rejected, and confused. The scorching heat of the desert sun beat upon her face; her sweat mixed with her tears. I can see her putting her hand on her womb while feeling so much uncertainty and fear, both for herself and the child she was carrying.

But then Hagar came to rest by a spring of water, and that is where God met her.

How amazing it is that the Living Water shows up while we are in our wilderness—when we are so thirty for answers and for a way out. He talked with her about her situation, assured her that she and her baby would be okay, and sent her back to Abraham.

Hagar exclaimed, You are a God of seeing, truly here I have seen him who looks after me. The Hebrew word she used was El Roi. It is the only instance that God is called by this name in the Bible.

Hagar was no longer invisible. God didn’t just look at her; he gazed upon her with love and compassion. He really saw her.

Know today that God sees you. He sees the situation you are in, and he is not surprised by it. He sees the real you—the secrets, the scars, and all the other things that no one else sees. You don’t have to stand in the corner with your shame or your despair. You don’t have to hide from God.

If you are in the wilderness, go to the Living Water, and he will meet you there. He knows you are thirsty. He will provide you with the answer.

He is the God who sees!

Going to the Well

Imagine that someone has granted you a superpower. You can either become invisible at will or have x-ray vision. Describe the positives and the negatives of both superpowers. Compare and contrast your need to hide some parts of yourself and your knowing that God is El Roi—the God who sees.

Drinking the Living Water

Lord, thank you for being El Roi—the God who sees. During the times when I feel invisible, you see me. Remind me that I don’t have to hide in the corner. Show me that I am worthy of love and being known. Help me when I am afraid to show people who I really am. Help me overcome any feeling of unworthiness that I have. Tell me again and again that I am your precious child and that I am deeply loved by you. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Day Two: I Will Give You a New Heart

I Will Give You a New Heart

Proverbs 10:12; Job 5:2

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).

When I close my eyes, I can picture a little girl sitting on a cement block in the parking lot of a local church. She looks so small and so timid. Her green uniform jumper seems almost too big for her—as if she perpetually needs to grow into it. Black-and-white saddle shoes tap on the pavement to the rhythm of a group of girls playing a jump-rope game nearby.

She is alone. Boys and girls of differing sizes and ages run in front of her and behind her. They seem to be oblivious to her presence. She seems to be invisible to everyone around her. She squints because of the rays of the afternoon sun. She shivers as the autumn air becomes cooler.

Another group of girls are standing not far from her. One of them points at her and whispers something to the other girls. This makes all of them laugh. The little girl is trying not to cry; she doesn’t want them to know they have triggered the most sensitive places in her spirit. She can feel something cold and dark inside of her, and it is growing.

That little girl is me, and what is growing is resentment, and resentment can be debilitating.

The other day, I saw a picture of one of those girls on my social media. This person tormented me in grade school. If bullying was like karate, she would have earned a black belt.

I remember that when I was younger, I would sit in front of the large mirror in my bedroom and stare at my reflection for hours; I desperately tried to figure out why she hated me so much.

Was there something wrong with me that I couldn’t see? Forty years later and I still have no answers.

I looked at her picture on Facebook for a long time. The young girl who made my life so difficult was now a grown woman. I wondered what her life was like and if time and experience had changed her.

For the rest of the day, I couldn’t get her image out of my mind. What I realized was that although I was holding on to those painful memories, I was equally certain that she had no recollection of them at all. If we passed each other on the street, would she even know me? Certainly, she would never know the pain she caused, the aftereffects that lasted for decades, and the lack of self-worth that I felt for years.

Ephesians 4:32 says, Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Resenting this woman doesn’t hurt her; it only hurts me. I cannot have a full relationship with God until I let this go and forgive. It doesn’t excuse what she did, but it will set me free. I will no longer be a slave; I will no longer be a victim. I see the little girl sitting alone on the playground—so small and so timid. I reach down, grab her hand, and smile. I whisper in her ear, Be free.

Going to the Well

Think about a person in your life who really hurt you. Do you still resent that person? Write a letter to that person. Tell them how they made you feel. Tell them the ways that you have suffered, and then tell them how you are going to forgive them and let the feeling of resentment go.

Drinking the Living Water

Loving Father, I renounce and release any and all feelings of resentment that I have allowed to fester in my heart. Holding on to those painful words and memories has allowed thistles and weeds to grow in places that should be fruitful and flourishing. Lord, help me remove the heaviness I have in my heart for this person. Help me see them in the light of your grace and your mercy. Remove this heart of stone and replace it with your heart, oh God. What this person did to me was not right, not fair, not kind, and not acceptable, but I need to let it go, and I need to forgive. Instead of dwelling on past hurts, I sincerely pray for this person. Jesus, help me remember the words you uttered as you hung in agony on the cross: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. I repent for those past feelings of resentment and pray for all these things in your name. Amen.

Day Three: Holding Back the Water

Holding Back the Water

Deuteronomy 20:4; Joshua 1:9; Deuteronomy 3:22; Joshua 23:10