Spiritual Dehydration

Have you ever felt spiritually “dry”?  Sometimes we feel this way when circumstances in our lives are at a standstill and it seems that our prayers are in vain.  Other times, the situation is the opposite.  When our lives are in a place of peace and rest, we are not driven to trust in God the way that we are in those more trying times and we become absorbed in the managing of our blessings, rather than focusing on our relationship with God.

As I thought about spiritual dryness, God brought some thoughts to my mind about how I deal with dryness in natural situations.  If my hands feel dry, I apply hand lotion. If my mouth is dry, I get a drink of water. If my gas tank runs dry, I fill the tank with gasoline.  The moment I notice the need in those situations, I immediately take care of it. Whey then do I hesitate to run to the remedy when I feel spiritual dryness in my life?

There is only one cure for spiritual dehydration: getting soaked in the water of the Word and the Spirit of God.  The Psalmist says in Psalm 63:1:

“Oh God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.”

The Bible compares being away from God to being thirsty, but Jesus told us that He would give us living water.  He told the woman at the well:

 “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14)

God knew that each of us would feel those times of drought and He made provision for us.  In those moments where our emotions seem to tell us that God is far away, we can know that through the Word and the Spirit which He has given to us, we can find refreshing.