Dew Gives The Promise Of Life

Dew sometimes receives mixed reviews depending on the climate you live in. To an already humid climate dew can cause needed crops to rot, but in more arid places dew is needed for life. It is most often seen as a blessing.

I planted roses in front of my condo last year. This was a new adventure for me and it paid off big time. I fed and watered them and they blossomed and flourished well beyond my hopes. The hydrangeas they replaced could not handle the southern exposure. Roses on the other hand loved the sun and the heat.

I especially loved the mornings that the roses were heavy with dew. The picture speaks to me of the the lavish goodness of our Creator. The Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32 begins with a description of our God.

“Listen, O heavens, and I will speak!
    Hear, O earth, the words that I say!
² Let my teaching fall on you like rain;
    let my speech settle like dew.
Let my words fall like rain on tender grass,
    like gentle showers on young plants.
³ I will proclaim the name of the Lord;
    how glorious is our God!
⁴ He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.
    Everything he does is just and fair.
He is a faithful God who does no wrong;
    how just and upright he is!

Initially I wanted to stop with that good news and beautiful image, because the Song of Moses has another side to it. Moses is about to die shortly before Joshua leads the Israelites in to the promised land. You can read all of the chapter from the link above. Basically, God speaks through Moses to tell the people that there are consequences for straying from worshipping the One true God. The rewards, however, are even greater than the beginning four verses above.

Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land because of his behavior 40 years earlier. (v51) Consequences exist, but Jesus has changed the “grading scale” to our benefit. The good news is that even with earthly consequences, no matter what a mess we may make of things here, there is hope of receiving God’s blessing as we turn back to God.

Abba, I call down Your dew of blessings and refreshing as we choose to worship You with our entire beings. We thank You for abundant grace as we learn to seek you more in Spirit and in truth each day. Thank you that Jesus’ journey to the Cross, through the grave and back to life completely satisfies justice and invites us to freedom.