Ever felt like you were so far from God, like no matter what you did, how much you prayed and cried out to Him, or how much you read His word you always felt that empty dryness feeling, like nothing you did was enough to quench that thirst or fulfil that desire you have for God?
I know I have and It's not a pleasant feeling. At times I get weary and wonder if I'm doing something wrong, maybe I'm reading the wrong books or wrong scriptures, or maybe there's just something wrong with me. But after talking with a very close friend of mine who's like an older sister to me she quoted this verse to me: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."-Matthew 5:6 and that's when God started to speak to me and tell me I'm right where He wants me to be. You see God places that thirst/desire in our hearts for Him, so that we will long for a relationship with Him and chase after Him with everything we have and the enemy will try to make you believe that there is something wrong with you so that you won't chase after Him because he knows that if you're filled with God's Holy Spirit you will have the power to fight the plans of destruction that he has planned for you. Acts 1:8 it says: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..." The enemy knows this, he knows the word of God that's why you have to know it because he will use scripture out of context and even switch it around and you won't even know because you don't know it yourself. The bible says.. "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." -Hosea 4:6. The enemy knows that when you keep pressing and praying and trying to chase after God in this time you will find Him and his plans won't go as planned. that's why the devil tries so hard to keep you down and from reading The Word because he wouldn't be able to persuade you/lie to you because you would know the truth for yourself.
The enemy will have you chasing all the wrong things making you believe that they will fill you up but in all reality they leave you feeling emptier and dryer than before. And I know because for a long time he had me in his web of condemnation and lies. He will have you chasing after that job because you think that if you get that job you'll have more money and that will solve all your problems and fill that void you're feeling, he'll have you chasing that relationship because you think that if you get that guy/girl to love you that will fill that empty void, he'll have you chasing that career because you think that if you get that career you'll be complete and successful and that will fill that void, etc... NONE of those things will be able to fill that God size void in your heart, they might fill it temporarily but eventually you'll need something more, and then more... I'm not saying that those things above are bad and are a sin but they can become an idol in our lives when we start to place them before God, Exodus 20:3 says "You shall have no other gods before me." When we try to fill our lives with all these things we will always be searching for more because NO thing or person can truly satisfy us the way that God can. As I'm writing this I am reminded of the story in the Bible (John chapter 4) about the woman at the well when Jesus replied to her and said: "... but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." So you see ONLY God can fill you up so much to the point where you're overflowing like a fountain over pouring into other people's lives.
Today we live in a generation where people are thirsty for acceptance, money, drugs, sex, pornography, the latest phones, the big house, the nice cars, the spotlight, that they are so lost and are looking to be filled by someone or something but what they are really searching for is something to fill that void but they don't know what it is so they keep trying more and more things but they end up feeling emptier and emptier. They're looking for The Truth, JESUS! That is why it is so important for us Christians to be the light of this world and realize that we may be the only Bible that they will ever read in their life. So the question I have for you is what are you thirsting for? Is it God? or is it that relationship, that job, career or something else that will leave you feeling dry? What are you portraying and allowing the people in this world to read from your lifestyle, what are they getting from your life?
God desires the dry times in our life. Don't think it's bad to be in a spiritual dry place unless it's because of sin, If we are committing a sin and are intentionally sinning and/or are holding onto something that we know He wants us to let go of, if so then that will separate us from His presence and we will sense a distance between God and ourselves, and that feeling hurts. Don't get me wrong this doesn't mean that He's abandoning us, or that He doesn't love us. If anything, it is a demonstration of His love to let us feel broken fellowship since it moves us to repentance. Spiritual dryness can be a time that God wants us to go through as a time of testing and preparation for what He called us to do. God will allow us to be tested in order to develop our faith. Something to ponder... Do we stay Christians because of the feeling of fellowship we have with God or is it because we trust in Him? Romans 5:1 says we are justified by faith, not by feeling(s). God can use the spiritual dry times in our lives to cause us to examine what and who our faith is in.
As I've mentioned above spiritual dryness is also a time of preparation, when God wants to use you mightily He needs to prepare you and usually that comes in the wilderness/dessert time. Every major/important person that God used in the Bible had to go through a time of preparation in a dry place. Just to name a few... Moses, Elijah, Jesus, and Paul all went through a dessert time. In those dry times of waiting, praying, wanting, desperate for God's presence, is when God is able to refine us and strengthen us. Sometimes this preparation is for hardship, sorrow, and pain. Other times it is for blessing, reward, and ministry.
You might be wondering what you should do in a dry season of your life. I would encourage you to pray and read your Bible daily and ask God to show you your heart and if there are any unconfessed sins in your life that you haven't repented for. And trust God through this time no matter how hard it may be or whatever temptation the devil may throw your way, stand firm in your faith and believe that God will provide the help and strength you need throughout this time also REMEMBER that He will NEVER forsake you. And in this, your faith will be perfected, your character improved, your walk strengthened, and you will be prepared for the tasks ahead that God has called you to do.
BUT most importantly, during your dryness, praise and thank God! NOTHING confuses the devil like you worshipping God in the midst of this time. Do not let your feelings rob you of the opportunity to praise and thank God even when the times are not so great. Remember, it is easy to praise God when things go well. But the true Christians praise God through the trials as well.
*The Lord has not saved us to be trophies on a shelf. We are instruments in His hands to be used in the world. This requires that we be able to be used, sent, and willing to trust the Lord in spite of what we see and feel!
Love you all,
~ Joy J <3
