by Danny B. Smith, Purple Ark Ministries

© Copyright Reserved  November 7th 2008

After The Rain of

His Holy Spirit

“Suffering that comes with serving God”

  I Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy..

I have always imagined at being one with God would be a complete and happy experience. This devotional is about the suffering that comes with serving God.  After the rain of the Holy Spirit, I find myself feeling lonely and exhausted. I feel out of place and somewhat sad that I have to go back to the physical world that often rejects the Creator. Knowing God changes your values and how you look at life. You find yourself giving up anything to please God. The closer you get to the Creator, the more evil tries to derail your life and everything around you. On a Sunday morning, I traveled to Los Angeles, California to minister at Calvary United Methodist Church. It was a difficult sermon to prepare for. By the time I was ready to speak what God had given to me; the Holy Spirit had already taken over.

You would think that it would be routine to settle down after an anointed experience with God. It is not so simple! I told my wife to drive us home, I got in the back of our small little Toyota and for the next few days I would try to recover mentally, physically and spiritually. During this time, I prayed heavily for a covering against the attacks that I knew would come. It is hard for friends and family to understand what I am are going through at these moments.

A minister that I worked with in Los Angeles, called me two days after a spiritually driven experience. Much like myself, he was drained and still coming down from praying, preaching to the broken souls in a homeless community. He sounded so depressed and I said to him, “I guess I am not alone in this aftermath of the Holy Ghost”. We both laughed and talked about the nature of everything we saw God doing. I remember going over to pray for one of the evangelist that was preaching as people were falling into the arms of God. I reached out for my brother and begin praying for restoration! Suddenly the power of God ripped through both of us.

Immediately something happend and it was hard for me to breathe! I felt like something had pulled the air out of my body. The entire park was filled with water of life. I watched as a child less that 8 years old was taken by a special gift from God. I had not seen such a movement of God presence since I was in Houston, Texas. It was there that the victim of Hurricane Katrina had been left homeless and feeling abandoned. I knew God was with me and I did not want to leave even though another storm was coming. I remember being ordered to go home. It was 3am in the morning and I felt hurt that I had to leave and book a early flight back to California. The heart of God is hard to carry.

You never stop loving the people that God places in your path. Compassion for the poor and the suffering that comes with serving God is not a bad thing, it is part of the honor that must be given to honor God.

As a child we experience the pain of our bodies growing and developing. We study hard and make sacrifices so our parents proud of us.

Your growing experience with God is similar. I recall my daughter growing tall and complaining about her knees.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for teaching us how to love you more.  Thank you for allowing us to share Christ suffering.  We know that you are ever present in the quiet spilling of your Holy Spirit. Comfort your warriors dear Father.  Open your view from Heaven and release the rain of your presence.  Refresh the armor that you have shielded us with.  We desire to make war against the enemy that comes to destroy your creation.  Send us back into the battlefield, let us hear the cry of angels falling to claim the final victory.  Teach us more dear Lord, Teach us more...

Send us to the places that no one else will go.  Send us to preach to the lost, the poor, the abandon, the sick, the disabled and the elderly.  We thank you for our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  We thank you for the lessons he has given us to pass on.  Thank you Lord for the Comforter.  In Jesus Name.  Amen

Please pass this devotional message to a friend or a stranger that does not know how God loves them!