Wandering in a Dry, Weary Land

In our area, there has been very little rain in recent months.  Most green plants have turned brown.  Much of the western U.S. is still suffering drought.  In other places we’ve lived through a drought, civic leaders passed restrictions against car-washes and watering a lawn; such practices were seen as a waste of a precious resource.

Have you cut back on any unnecessary use of water yet?  Last year, my brother-in-law up North installed a plastic barrel at the bottom of a gutter drain spout, to collect rain water to water the garden & flowers.  I’ve seen one house in town that uses 5-gallon buckets for the same purpose.  When water gets scarce, it’s wise to consider ways to conserve it, to make the remaining water last longer.

In the Bible, a drought was seen in a spiritual way, as a dry, thirsty period when G seems far away.  Sometimes, a drought was seen as God’s punishment or discipline on his disobedient children. 

In Psalm 63:1, David 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.”  Have you been wandering in a dry, weary land? 

It would have been understandable if David had become so overwhelmed, but he had God’s promise that he would become the next King of Israel.  He knew that no matter the enemy did, the Lord was watching over him.  But when one goes through a dry, weary land for months or years, one can feel far away from God, perhaps even neglected.

Many of us, if not all, have gone through dry, weary times.  When we get discouraged by the challenges we face, it’s good for us to remember that God is stronger than the situation we face.  The Lord is our Shepherd who watches over us.  When we go through a dry, weary period, do you and I thirst for God?  Do we long for God, as David did?

In John 4, Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks this water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

If you’re going through a dry, weary time, seek the One who offers the Water of Life.  He will nourish your soul and give you strength to survive this drought.  The next time you enjoy a glass of cold, refreshing water, pause to thank the One who gives the water that wells up to eternal life.  Then seek his life.

When Prayers Aren't Answered

A 42-year-old sits alone in her home.  She has lived with severe arthritis for over 8 years.  Her doctor just diagnosed her with chronic fatigue syndrome.  Her energy-level is always low; her personal “gas tank” needs to be filled, but doesn’t hold nearly what it used to.  She doesn’t know how she can continue working and caring for her 3 children.  She, her pastor, and friends have prayed for God to heal her, for years, but their prayers have not been answered. 

When she asks her pastor Why, he doesn’t have an answer.  She avoids those who told her she doesn’t have enough faith; what do they think – that she enjoys this everyday pain, fatigue, and big medical bills?  Some friends were understanding at first but no longer invite her to their social outings because she couldn’t go out, one too many times.  Others don’t know what to say anymore.  Thus, she feels alone in her struggles.

Understanding why God doesn’t answer our prayers, requires us to look past our pain and hardships; it also requires patience and faith that can preserve through testing.  If you don’t have the necessary faith or endurance, suffering teaches us, even though no one likes the school of hard knocks.

In Isaiah 30, the Israelites turned to an alliance with the Egyptians instead of turning to the Lord.  In v. 15, the Sovereign Lord said to them,

In repentance and rest is your salvation,


in quietness and trust is your strength,


but you would have none of it.

How many of us during our healthy time, felt like we had to spend our time at work or with loved ones, and were too busy to be quiet before God.  We rushed and fretted and hurried around.  Then, in some way, God did something to get our attention, and we had to suffer through some hard times while being humbled before God. 

What if God has not healed you?  Are you living in daily pain and feel like people don’t understand your struggle?  Maintaining a positive hope for the future is one of the biggest challenges for those with chronic pain or illness.   Perhaps one of these could boost your spirits if you (or someone u know) lives with a chronic illness.

For resources for those with chronic illness or chronic pain, see:

 http://www.restministries.org 

http://www.restministriessunroom.com/

http://www.joniandfriends.org

http://www.theacpa.org/default.aspx -the American Chronic Pain Assoc..

http://www.mayoclinic.com  -look up any chronic pain or illness by name

http://www.theamensolution.com/home has resources for those who want to improve their cognitive      

                   or brain health.  This was founded by Dr. Daniel Amen.

http://www.myspace.com/ & http://www.facebook.com/ have numerous groups for those w/ chronic pain or illness; just search for your illness.