Spiritual Dryness

The following article was published in the Arthur Graphic-Clarion in July 2016.
 

My wife Rhonda and I recently returned from a trip to California where a current drought has everyone concerned and thinking about how they use their water.  Water is one of our most crucial resources and when things become dry and parched it causes people to think about not only how valuable it is but how they are using it in their own lives.  The same can be said about our spiritual lives as well.  It is often in those times of spiritual dryness that we discover things that might need our attention or appreciation.

In 1986 two brothers who lived in kibbutz near the Sea of Galilee made an incredible discovery.  As these two Israeli fishermen monitored their equipment on the beaches of Genesaret, they noticed something they had not seen before.  Something covered in mud glistened in the sun.  Upon examination, archaeologists determined that what the brothers had discovered was a fishing boat dating from the time of Jesus (AD 30-33).  The only reason the artifact was discovered was because of a 3-year drought, resulting in unusually low water in the lake. 

The Bible tells us that in times of spiritual dryness, God may uncover something of fabulous value within his presence.  In 2 Corinthians 4 Paul is speaking of the many struggles that come along in life.  He says that in life we are often pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down.  But then he reminds us that those times of difficulty are refining us and shaping us into the person that God wants us to be.  Physical and spiritual dryness can lead to times of a renewed life.

Paul reminds us that it is in those times when we discover that our troubles are moving us to an eternal glory that far outweighs the drought stricken times in our life.  He says,

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

(2 Corinthians 4:18)  I’m not sure if you are at a spiritual mountain or valley as you read this, but I do know that God’s desire is to shape you and mold you into his eternal glory.
Read God’s Word this week and think about its spiritual value for life.  Then pray and ask Jesus to help you grow in whatever place or situation you find yourself in right now.  Jesus can help to lead you from spiritual dryness to a place where you are renewed day by day, just as Paul reminds us when he says, “Therefore we do not lost heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”   (2 Corinthians 4:16).
 
Glen Rhodes
Arthur Mennonite Church