Distraction of Drought #devotion

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land   and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11

This summer has been one of the coolest and wettest summers I have experienced since I moved out East. In fact, for a while, we were receiving rain showers every day which refreshed the air and made the landscapes lush and green. Then things changed, remember Irving Berlin’s song “we’re having a heat wave”? The temperatures reached over 95 degrees with 90% humidity each day. If there was a shower, it quickly passed leaving the air stifling and thick. I struggled to keep my plants watered and then I had to leave to go out of town. The picture below shows what happened.

I arrived home to be greeted by this sight and was sure I had lost these plants. Praying for the best I decided to water them before I left for work that morning. When I arrived home, I was amazed at the transformation. They went from shriveled up wilted plants to flourishing greenery in that short of time!

Sometimes I feel like those wilted plants in the first picture. My own spiritual drought can be caused by exhaustion, worry, illness, loneliness, depression or over commitment, just to name a few. When my spirit is wilting and weak, I know I need to drink in the living water of our Lord. It is the water of the living Lord that can quench my soul and satisfy my sun-scorched spirit.

That drink of living water can come in many ways, depending on the cause of my drought:

1. Reading His Word
2. Connecting with a Christian friend
3. Praying with a friend
4. Carving out daily devotional time
5. Participating in worship
6. Just to name a few

Recently I felt parched and was searching for direction. My spirit was filled with doubt and discouragement. I couldn’t put my finger on the cause of these feelings. It just so happened I was registered to attend a conference with Carol Kent’s Speak Up ministry. During these uplifting and inspiring days, I not only connected with family and other believers, but I worshipped, prayed, cried, celebrated and learned many things. I grew through the teachings, the encouragement and the fellowship of this fabulous weekend. I realized that I was trying live and direct my life by my will and my own expectations. When I do this, I eventually am trying to draw strength from an empty well. God’s well of Living water never runs dry, but I have to seek it daily through tangible actions to drink it.

This conference gave me the opportunity to drink from the living water of Christ. I returned home feeling refreshed and strengthened as only the Lord can do.

What is causing your drought today? Do you know that the Lord desires to quench your parched soul and your sun-scorched spirit with His living water? He wants you to be a well-watered garden producing fruits for His glory. Where do you go to find the Living water?

Dear Lord, Forgive me when I try to handle each day on my own. Sometimes I don’t understand the challenges, but you do. Sometimes I am disappointed with the day-to-day discouragements, but You desire to encourage me. Sometimes the worries for my loved ones consume my time and energies, but You love them and care for them too. I desire to drink from Your spring of Living water.   Help me to find that well and take the time to draw from it and quench my parched soul. Amen.

This blog entry is part of the Speak Up 15 Conference follow-up. Enjoy reading many of the added reflections