Have you noticed that much of the western United States seems to be in a moderate to severe drought? We’ve had temperature over 100 degrees in Fargo, which is unusual to say the least! My grass is rather crispy in spots, and I have only mowed one time!
From full-on deserts to out-of-control fires, droughts are serious.
While we can’t do much about the weather, besides addressing climate change perhaps, we can make the best of it. We can thank God for His provision in every season. And, we can pray for rain!
Spiritually, there are some parallels to drought conditions. Our spirits can feel hot and dry at times, isolated. We can grow impatient with what we want to see and feel, but don’t.
Unfortunately, in a spiritual drought we can miss the joy of God’s presence. He is still at work even when we can’t understand what He is doing. But if we’re not careful, we can miss out on all of His goodness, too.
We can miss the heat and sunshine. We can miss the breeze sent to cool us down. We can miss beautiful flowers, as well as birds chirping. We can miss morning walks and ice cream in the evening. We can even miss opportunities to praise God!
If you are feeling dry and without spiritual hope, cry out to Jesus. He’s right there with you. Like a fountain, He will refresh you and set you back on the right path.
Late Monday night, there was an unexpected thunderstorm. The thunder and lightening woke up Lydia, and she had difficulty falling back to sleep. It’s not fun feeling vulnerable and afraid!
I was thankful for the rain, but I also needed to be a parent and comfort my child. I ended up letting her sleep with me, and of course she slept soundly after that!
I was thankful to be her safe place, pointing her back to God Himself.
Then, last night, I introduced Lydia to the Sound of Music. It’s nearly a three-hour movie, so we’ll have to finish it later. But, we gave it our best shot!
She recognized many of the songs and had fun singing along!
I could have easily just focused on my long to-do list last night; there is always something to do! But, instead, I enjoyed some refreshing time with Lydia.
If we know where to look, we can find peace, hope, and restoration in the desert setting. God made beautiful sunsets, flowers, cacti, and camels, right?
Similarly, spiritual deserts can also have beauty. While they may or may not be preventable, our attitude (weeding) and willingness to trust God (watering) certainly make them more enjoyable.
**********
God, thanks for refreshing us with Your grace and love. Help us turn to You in the dry times of life. May we not wither away, but please restore and renew us. Have mercy on us and heal our land. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Questions: What have you been doing to stay cool in this heat? Do you prefer the hot, hot, hot weather?! Or, do you prefer more moderate temperatures?
Tasks: Read the lyrics to this song, “We Will Stand (In This Dry and Barren Land)“. Bonus points if you can sing it or play it on the guitar! Pray for rain and God’s renewal.
