Dry Times

  Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Romans 4:18

Beloved of the Lord,

God’s word states we are to walk by faith and not by (feelings) sight. During a spiritual high we sail along waving our flag of victory and we may even sing our prayers, for they flow out of us and are sprinkled with praises. We may be ready with much ‘spiritual’ advice for those who are in a spiritual funk or struggling with life. Oh, how careful we need to be. God works His perfect will in different ways and at different times. Feelings can make our lives good or the lack of spiritual feelings can leave us ‘feeling’ off track or discouraged. We must learn not to allow feelings to dictate our spiritual disciplines such, as prayer or study.

If you are in a dry time your greatest frustration may by trying to shake yourself out of it. But it is not in your power to do so. God makes no mistakes. He has you where He wants you. He is trusting you with this dry season of life, for your good. Most likely He has not consulted you or filled you in on the details, but is trusting you with the mystery of His will; giving you the opportunity to walk by faith.

How easily I can skip praying or reading His Word, when I don’t feel like it. I read and it‘s as dry as day old toast. Praying, my words seem to rise no higher than the ceiling and I feel oppressed. It 'feels' as ineffective as texting someone who has no cell phone. Thankfully, God the Father sees our hearts. He does not just hear our words. Praying can be such a wonderful time of nearness and at other times you labor to force each word. God seems far away, like He has gone on vacation or He’s plugging His ears. 

Scupoli believed “innumerable benefits are derived from dryness and the absence of devotional feelings,” and he refers to the desert season as “marvelous help, although at the time we are not conscious of it.”

You may have been in the fire lately and are having a hard and painful time of it. God seems to have withdrawn Himself. Withdrawn His grace. This can be excruciating and frustrating. Do not lose heart. It is important to remember that our ‘feelings’ are not a gauge to measure our spiritual maturity. We walk by faith. "Unless you stand firm in your faith; you will not stand at all." Isaiah 7:9

Feelings are never a yardstick of truth. They will betray the truth far more often than they will confirm it. GLT

My mentor taught me early on “when feelings run high, common sense runs low…. do not live by your feelings, but trust God even when you do not understand what He is doing. You know that all things are working together to create the likeness of Christ in you, even the deserts of life. God is preparing you for something more. When God takes the feelings away He has a purpose. So do not be sidetracked with negative self-talk, such as God is punishing you. We cannot control our feelings but we choose our actions. We are responsible for our choices. If we love God for what He gives us, are we not really loving ourselves, not Him? If we are loving Him, we will not give our feelings dictatorship.

When going through the desert, speak God’s truth, by exercising faith in God’s word, apart from any feelings. Remember we are planted together with Him in the likeness of His death.  Rom 6:5   Stand in this position-> in Christ and you will begin to experience resurrection life by the power of the Holy Spirit. You must stand firmly on this basic truth. Reject your old life on the basis of your death in Christ on the Cross, and count yourself alive in Him: dead to sin—alive unto God, in Christ. Romans 6: 11  

Let the facts of your position overwhelm the feelings of your condition. GW

The wilderness will not last any longer than He has purposed. Remember in Psalm 119:91 He promises ‘all things serve Him.”

Abraham, his body as good as dead and Sarah past child bearing were in a desert. Had God forgotten to be gracious? To be a barren woman was considered a curse, not to bear children a desert of heartache and shame. Hear what God’s Word tells us about Abraham choice to believe God: Romans 4 18-21

 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “ So shall your descendants be.” Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

Against all hope he believed! My feet are dancing! We can choose faith, too.

God, You who Possess heaven and earth and yet see my desert, and You, who with purpose and plan remove the ‘feelings’ of your Presence, I bow in awe of You! Forgive me for living by my feelings instead of walking by faith. The natural, arrogant result of my dry time is to cry out to You, demanding You remove it and restore my joy!  Forgive me. Lord, let me not fight the withdrawal of spiritual feelings, but choose to hear the Cross calling me to death! Thank You, that in the measure in which I count myself dead with Christ, I will experience His resurrection life. Let me pray, read, and worship because You are worthy and good, no matter how I feel. Give me faith to trust You. I love You. I am yours and no one can ever snatch me from Your grasp. I pray in the Name above all names amen and amen

The believer, in whose daily attitude the mark of resurrection is seen becomes what the world is looking for, a convincing witness to the power of the living Redeemer. GW

Have a blessed week walking by faith, no matter how you feel!