Are You In A Drought?

Have you ever been to a desert? Or an area that was suffering drought? Everything is parched. There is no water or moisture or even anything very green anywhere. You can tell just by looking at it that the place is in desperate need of water. It’s painfully obvious. Have you ever felt like that in your soul? Have you ever felt parched spiritually or just numb like you have no sense of God’s Spirit?

Unfortunately, that is where I am right now. I’ve felt it growing for some time, but I just realized how deadened I am to the things of God. The sad part is that I am more regular in Bible reading than I have been for years. It just goes to show that you can be doing all the right things, but still come up short in the heart. All the things we do are good, even necessary, but they are nothing if our relationship with God is not right.

The main cause of this spiritual dryness is sin. I’ll admit, again, this is where I am. No, I haven’t done anything “bad”, most people wouldn’t think it was wrong at all, but in my heart I know it is. I have allowed discontentment and unforgiveness to continue in my heart. I have used innocent day dreams as a way to escape my problems. I have not been turning to God for my needs. These things may all seem pretty innocuous, but we cannot nourish a relationship with God if we are watering the weeds.

Martin Luther surmised that since the greatest commandment is to love God with all of your heart, soul and mind that the worst sin is to not love God with all of your heart, soul and mind. Jerry Bridges gathered in Respectable Sins that the sin which is the root of all other sins is ungodliness, when we are focused on anything other than God. These are things we all do to some degree, at some point(s) in our lives. And all sin, every sin, gets in the way of our relationship with God. Every little sin puts up a barrier and the longer we let it go, the longer it is before we repent, the greater the barrier and drought.

John 15:5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

The key to gaining any godly attribute or character is abiding in Christ. We have to be all in, completely immersed in Christ. But it is something that no human can do without fail. David knew this condition well.

Psalm 63:1-3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.

He knew what it was to be dry, stagnant in his relationship with God, but he didn’t stay there. He sought after God, asked God to renew his spirit, to quench his thirsting soul. And he knew that God would. God is faithful. Yes, the drought is our fault, but all the Bible reading and prayer won’t do any good unless we are seeking God and His life. He has to put the life in us.

Ezekiel 37:3-5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.’

He can and He will. He wants nothing more than for us to live in the fullness of His life. That is why Jesus came, to give us that abundant life.

John 10:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

God has promised to give us His life, to fill us with His Spirit. We need nothing more than to seek it, ask for it, and submit to His Spirit.

Isaiah 44:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;’

Are you dry? Do you feel numb to God? Seek after God, ask for His Spirit and wait for the rain!