Rain—a Long-awaited Blessing!

February 6, 2025

by: Janet Aslin ~ Bridges for Peace

Thursday, 6 February 2025 | Not surprisingly, the last 24 hours have seen almost exclusive coverage in the Israeli news media of the “big story,” namely US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza. But there’s another story that deserves attention as well—the arrival of a winter storm in the Promised Land, which brought much-needed rainfall to the center of the country yesterday.

A little background first. The rainy season in Israel usually begins after Sukkot (late October to early November) and extends through March. Unlike last winter, which saw rain fall on 14 consecutive days during the month of February, this winter has been the driest in nearly a century. The level of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) has only risen 2 cm (.078 in.), while the water flowing in Jordan River is at its lowest level since 1960.

According to the Times of Israel, which obtained data from Israel Meteorological Service’s Hebrew site, the western Negev in southern Israel—where most of Israel’s vegetables are grown—has received 20–30% of the yearly average thus far. A friend who recently traveled to the area reported seeing stunted growth in the wheat fields due to lack of rainfall. Farmers have been praying for rain.

In the past weeks, rain has been in the forecast several times but at the last minute it did not materialize. So, when it was announced during the weather portion of the Tuesday evening news that there would be significant rain during the night and following day, we rejoiced! The promised rain was only slightly delayed as Wednesday morning dawned clear and dry, with just a few storm clouds on the horizon.

However, by late morning it was raining at last! The storm was concentrated in the center part of the country and included Jerusalem, with the surrounding communities of Mevaseret Zion and Har Adar receiving significantly more rain than the capital city. In fact, when I got off the bus last night near my home in Mevaseret Zion, it was like stepping into a shower. The rain pelted me with such force I could feel it on my shoulder blades! The street was awash in a sheet of water several inches deep.

The rain is to continue today, although the accumulation will not be as much as we saw yesterday. Israel’s dependence on rain is not as evident as it was 20 years ago, before its five large desalination plants were built and it discovered effective ways to recycle gray water for agricultural use.

Still, it is good to give thanks to the Lord for the blessing of rain. We remember the words of Moses as he prepared the Israelites for their entry into the Promised Land: “The land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven” (Deut. 11:10–11).

Israel is a unique land and thankfully, God does not change!

Posted on February 6, 2025

Source: (Bridges for Peace, February 6, 2025)

Photo Credit: Navot Miller/Wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia