Mommy, are you thirsty? Spiritually dry. It’s an awful place to be. Hell for those who have been satisfied by cool, refreshing Living Waters. Are you there? We’ve all been there. A mom is notorious for pouring out every drop she has for her family. It’s no surprise when you want to crawl into bed and throw the covers over your head…or fight the urge to never get out of bed in the first place.
I’ve struggled with feeling spiritually dry this summer. Being so exhausted, enjoying much company and travelling quite a bit. Taking small moments here and there to reconnect to Jesus hasn’t been enough. Today, I finally made a point to get in His Word and His presence was near. It felt like forever since I’d experienced Him so close. It almost felt like a reunion. I’d never wept in my devotion time before—until today.
Through my tears, I asked forgiveness for so many things, most especially, my unbelief. While meandering on the path of spiritual dryness, I learned to avoid a few steps in the future that have the power to lead me along the path towards that dry place.
Distraction:
“But Martha was distracted…” Luke 10:40
Distraction was my first step along my path of spiritual dryness. With the kids home for the summer distractions became a constant. My usual morning schedule was rewritten by younger-needier people who ceased to catch the bus at 6:11am for a few months.
What I originally thought was a good excuse for hit and run devotion time was nothing more than an excuse. A.W. Tozer said it perfectly, “Anything that keeps me away from my Bible is my enemy.”
Doubt:
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6
Doubt was step two. Once I’m distracted, my eyes are no longer on Jesus, so they come to rest very comfortably on “myself”. Once good ol’ “Self” is the focus you might as well turn out the light. His still small voice is drowned out by the insecurities of me, myself and I.
Disobedience:
“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Step three is a doozy. After a few weeks, spiritual dryness made a fork in the road. For the faithful saint, the one who remembers to trust, they go off on the path to the right, remembering to continue and persevere, even when His presence is not a constant from day to day. But, for those of us who falter and stumble in the “trust” department, we take the path off to the left. This path took me deeper into the dryness of my soul…destination disobedience. From here, whatever promises He’d given me, I’d forgotten. Which means His purpose for me was set down and left behind.
Disobedience is the hot wind that beat down on my dry days, the lynch pin that secured the chains of separation and kept me from the abundant life He promises.
Are any of you thirsty? Is your soul parched and dry? Are you too hoarse to even cry out for a drop of living water? Trust in Him. Persevere in what He’s called you to do. Pick up your purpose again. Don’t lay it down and give up. He has so much to pour into His children who continue in faith.
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