Saturday, August 18, 2012

Let it rain

It's raining.
I know that doesn't sound like a big deal, but after weeks of high temperatures and plant-killing drought it's a real blessing. You don't have to go very far to see dried-out lawns or fields where green crops have been replaced by thin, yellow stalks.
So a little rain is a big blessing.
As Christians, I think we can get spiritually dry and need some rain. Maybe we haven't been praying or reading the Scriptures as much. Maybe we haven't been in a Bible study for a while or have been so busy that we haven't had much time to reflect on God's goodness.
David, the Psalmist, seemed to understand such times when he wrote: "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1)
Naturally, I think the way we water our souls is to get back into the word and prayer. It may mean going into a room, shutting the door and simply sitting down with the Bible - just reading. We might take a devotional book or a simple blank notebook to jot down verses. Maybe we need to write down a list of things to pray for or write out our prayers.
Sometimes writing down prayers can help us sort out what we want to pray about.
Whatever we do, I think it's imperative that we spend some time in the word and prayer each day - listening as God speaks to our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
We need our time with God and his word like a tree needs water. Our Lord provides us with living water - the Holy Spirit, who counsels, guides, corrects and comforts. Only our Lord can help get or keep us out of a spiritual drought.
The Apostle Paul wrote this: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
We truly serve a good Heavenly Father, who loves, protects, directs and helps us.
He is the one who can lead us out of life's spiritual deserts as we look to him!
 Blessings,

Tammy