Dear Ones,
It seems that we are finally at a point where the long dry cycle is breaking. The forecast for the next week promises rain and snow. The thirsty ground will soak it up!
Every time the wind blew it raised dust at our home. It reminds me that although it has been acutely dry, it will be wet again. And no matter how wet it gets in the foreseeable future, it will eventually be dry again too.
How is it with your soul? Some of us are growing, rejoicing and living with the sense of God’s presence. It is exciting, and enjoyable. Some are “dry” as dust and hanging on by our fingernails. And some of us are in between. In scripture we are exhorted to live by faith, not by sight.” Not to go with strictly how we feel but with what we know. It needs to be the way we deal with things but it isn’t always easy. The testing of our faith and the place where solid growth takes place is for me most often found in those dry times. Abraham sought God for years when it seemed as if his prayers would never be answered. God called him at the age of 75 and informed him of the pending answer to his prayers when he was 99. In proverbs it declares that “hope deferred makes the heart sick.” It must have been tough. We compress the story of Joseph into a few chapters. In one he is in prison, in another he is prime minister to Pharaoh. It is easy to forget that he was an exile from his home and family, a slave and then a prisoner for 13 years. How he must have suffered from discouragement! Yet he sought the Lord. When I see someone who is being used mightily of God I know that they have most likely sought Him over a long period of time. Times with both highs and lows. God prepares us in the droughts. As we seek Him even while feeling empty and out of touch, He works in us. Anyone can enjoy the heady mountaintop times. But to seek Him in the “valleys” is an act of faith.
Are you seeking Him? Do you persist even when you feel dry as dust? Do you walk by sight or by faith? God will be found by us when we seek Him with all of our heart.
It is an act of faith to pray, to be in the word, to seek out the fellowship of others when we do not feel like it. It is an act of faith to run after God when He feels distant.
It is supposed to snow and rain! It is inconvenient but so needed. Cindy and I planted a lot of tulips this fall and winter. I want ’em to grow, bud and bloom. I hope to get a glorious Spring show out of them before the gophers discover them. Although it was dry when we planted them, we did so in faith that moisture would come. Rejoice