Rain has quickly become one of my favorite things about Cambodia. It can get 
annoying when I am on my bike and the sky decides to pour sheets of rain only long enough for me to get into a shop, buy a poncho, and get it over my helmet and arms before it stops. But I love the days when it just pounds on my roof for hours at a time.
So when I woke up this morning to claps of thunder and deafening rain, I was already praising the Lord for the day ahead. My heart jumped with joy: I love morning rains! And that meant it would be a cooler day–an added bonus of the rain. I just laid in my bed listening and smiling for awhile but soon had to get up and see all this rain for myself!
But I was instantly horror struck when I saw the rain draining into street. I remembered how full and quick the river has been. Flooding in the country side has been causing destruction and pain for the people of Cambodia for the past few weeks. To date over 247 people have been killed. Illness and transportation difficulties have affected over 260,000 families. (There haven't been any major effects on Phnom Penh directly…street flooding during heavy rains is usual and transportation to the provinces is difficult) How could God let it keep raining like this?
But seconds later the Lord reassured me with His truth…
“Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the clouds rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
let the earth cause them both to sprout;
I the LORD have created it."
(Isaiah 45:8)
"For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matt. 5:45)
There is evil and injustice here. But more importantly: God is here. He loves this land. The sun rose yet again this morning…what a gift! And the rain is an ever present reminder that He loves Cambodia beyond belief. He loves it so much that He rains down, not just drops of hydrogen and oxygen but drops that make salvation and righteousness take root. The Lord ultimately will be glorified and honored.
So later today as I sat on the roof of a friend's home praying over what work the Lord has in store for us here in Cambodia, I was overwhelmed by His presence in this country already. A huge portion of Cambodia is, literally, already flooded with His love and mercy and grace and righteousness….many people just don't know it yet! I couldn't help but sing out this tune…
You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are
You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are
There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Who knows the plans of the Lord and what things He has in store!
Could be a 24 hour house of prayer.
Or a team of men who come to disciple and raise up Godly, Khmer men.
Maybe He will ignite the hearts of Khmer Christians to really step out in faith to tell their neighbors and co-workers about the love they have discovered in the Lord.
Local and national leaders might meet the Lord and turn the direction of their country around completely.
Perhaps men will turn from addictions to pornography and sex and truly seeing the value of women.
The Lord's plan may contain any, all, or none of these things. But whatever happens will be of the Lord and it will end in Him be glorified. There is no one like our God!!
