"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved" Ephesians 2: 4-5
Since I started writing and blogging a few years ago, I have experienced several dry spells. There are times where I go several weeks in between writing journal entries. Writer's block they call it. When ideas are scarce and motivation seems lost. Or, I just cant take the ideas in my head and translate them coherently to paper. Those times can be extremely frustrating. No amount of time, effort, and even praying results in generating ideas.
We can run into those kinds of dry spells in our walks of faith. Those times when God feels so distant from us. When it is difficult to pray and/or study the scriptures. We become dry and parched - slowly dying inside. Think of dry areas. What images and words do you think of? They're never really pleasant places in our minds. Brown grass, oppressive heat, thirst, deserts, sand, weakness, hunger, brittleness, and death. That's what dryness conjures up in my mind. Conjure images of what drought looks like. Can sometimes feel like our souls when we hit a dry spell.
There are many reasons we can hit dry spells in our faith. Sin, definitely, can cause us to feel dry. Circumstances in this world can cause us to pull away from God. This can cause us to pray less, become less involved in our churches, become pessimistic, or withdraw from community. All of these are lifelines to keep us nourished during the dry spells. Something that helps during these times is to be able to talk about it with others. People you intimately trust. They provide a perspective that you may have missed. Knowing they are also praying for you can also be sustaining. There is a reassurance of knowing when you are being supported and lifted in prayer by others. God uses all these means to combat the dryness in our souls during those times. Focus on the promises of God rather than how you currently feel. Our feelings can carry us up and down and be quite volatile. God's promises are secure and steadfast. Focus on those when you are dry.
There are many instances in the bible that refer to God like water. Living streams, living water, etc.. David in Psalms refers to his soul going after God like a deer panting for water. Water nourishes us when we are dehydrated. The living water of God satisfies our souls.
In some cases, the dry spells can last for a very long time. Without nourishment, things tend to die. Our faith can slowly die away until it is almost a smoldering ember rather than the raging fire that it may have been. Lying dormant feeling as there was no ending or way out. We become almost a spiritual Lazarus.
Almost everyone knows the story of Lazarus, who was dead for four days when Jesus raised him with the words "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man comes out of the tomb immediately. Jesus had earlier stated that Lazarus had fallen asleep and he was going there to wake him.
That's how we get when our faith hits a dry spell. Dormant and asleep. Not much happening. We can become discouraged and fall away. Yet, in the same way Jesus can wake up our spirits and quench the dry areas that are thirsty. Jesus pursues us and doesn't want us stranded in the dry places. He walks alongside navigating the way out for us.
There are things we learn during those dry spells. They reveal God even clearer as things are stripped away. You might become closer in prayer or deal with unresolved sin during these moments. God allows things for a reason, this I believe. For the good too. Spiritual dry spells are no exception. Like with everything, it all depends on how we choose to deal with life in those dry moments. We can choose to push away and wither like a plant without nourishment. Or, we can push closer, be refreshed, be pruned, and brought back to life with the words of Jesus.
Since I started writing and blogging a few years ago, I have experienced several dry spells. There are times where I go several weeks in between writing journal entries. Writer's block they call it. When ideas are scarce and motivation seems lost. Or, I just cant take the ideas in my head and translate them coherently to paper. Those times can be extremely frustrating. No amount of time, effort, and even praying results in generating ideas.
We can run into those kinds of dry spells in our walks of faith. Those times when God feels so distant from us. When it is difficult to pray and/or study the scriptures. We become dry and parched - slowly dying inside. Think of dry areas. What images and words do you think of? They're never really pleasant places in our minds. Brown grass, oppressive heat, thirst, deserts, sand, weakness, hunger, brittleness, and death. That's what dryness conjures up in my mind. Conjure images of what drought looks like. Can sometimes feel like our souls when we hit a dry spell.
There are many reasons we can hit dry spells in our faith. Sin, definitely, can cause us to feel dry. Circumstances in this world can cause us to pull away from God. This can cause us to pray less, become less involved in our churches, become pessimistic, or withdraw from community. All of these are lifelines to keep us nourished during the dry spells. Something that helps during these times is to be able to talk about it with others. People you intimately trust. They provide a perspective that you may have missed. Knowing they are also praying for you can also be sustaining. There is a reassurance of knowing when you are being supported and lifted in prayer by others. God uses all these means to combat the dryness in our souls during those times. Focus on the promises of God rather than how you currently feel. Our feelings can carry us up and down and be quite volatile. God's promises are secure and steadfast. Focus on those when you are dry.
There are many instances in the bible that refer to God like water. Living streams, living water, etc.. David in Psalms refers to his soul going after God like a deer panting for water. Water nourishes us when we are dehydrated. The living water of God satisfies our souls.
In some cases, the dry spells can last for a very long time. Without nourishment, things tend to die. Our faith can slowly die away until it is almost a smoldering ember rather than the raging fire that it may have been. Lying dormant feeling as there was no ending or way out. We become almost a spiritual Lazarus.
Almost everyone knows the story of Lazarus, who was dead for four days when Jesus raised him with the words "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man comes out of the tomb immediately. Jesus had earlier stated that Lazarus had fallen asleep and he was going there to wake him.
That's how we get when our faith hits a dry spell. Dormant and asleep. Not much happening. We can become discouraged and fall away. Yet, in the same way Jesus can wake up our spirits and quench the dry areas that are thirsty. Jesus pursues us and doesn't want us stranded in the dry places. He walks alongside navigating the way out for us.
There are things we learn during those dry spells. They reveal God even clearer as things are stripped away. You might become closer in prayer or deal with unresolved sin during these moments. God allows things for a reason, this I believe. For the good too. Spiritual dry spells are no exception. Like with everything, it all depends on how we choose to deal with life in those dry moments. We can choose to push away and wither like a plant without nourishment. Or, we can push closer, be refreshed, be pruned, and brought back to life with the words of Jesus.
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