Built In The Hidden Places

"April showers bring May flowers.” It is such a familiar phrase, something we have all heard countless times. Yet if we are honest, it can almost make us resent April. We want what May represents. We want the sunshine, the beauty, the blooming, the visible fruit of a new season.

But the truth is, the beauty of May is born in the hidden work of April. Rain, in the natural, is not just inconvenient weather. It is necessary. It washes away dust, debris, and pollutants that would otherwise hinder a plant from receiving sunlight. It nourishes the soil. It creates the conditions for deep, lasting growth. Without the rain, there is no flourishing.

And as I’ve been thinking about this, I felt the Lord gently remind me how true this is in our spiritual lives as well. How often do we resist the “rainy” seasons? The moments of pruning, the times of stretching, the seasons where things feel hidden or uncomfortable. Yet these are often the very moments where God is doing His deepest work. He is cleansing. He is renewing. He is removing the things that hinder us so we can fully receive His light and grow into who He has called us to be.

Just as rain prepares the earth, the Word of God washes and renews us. Through His presence, through His truth, through surrender, He removes what does not belong and strengthens what does.

Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 NLT

This is the call for every believer. Not to chase platforms, influence, or opportunities, but to pursue holiness. To allow the Lord to do a deep, internal work in us. Because true impact is not born from visibility. It is born from purity. It is sustained by intimacy with Him. We have learned in ministry and in life that God is far more concerned with who we are becoming than what we are building. The “rain” seasons may not always be comfortable, but they are always purposeful. They prepare us to carry what He desires to entrust to us. The hidden places matter. The quiet obedience matters. The seasons where it feels like nothing is happening are often the very seasons where everything is being formed.

And just like in the natural, the rain never lasts forever. There is a blooming. There is a harvest. There is a visible fruit that comes from the hidden work of surrender and refinement. But when that season comes, it is not for our recognition. It is for His glory.

We want to be a people who do not rush past the rain, but who allow the Lord to fully accomplish what He desires in us through it.

So let us embrace the rain, knowing that it is preparing us for a harvest that brings Him glory.