We live in Texas, where we've been experiencing the worst drought in history. The little bayou behind our house is drying up so the kids can no longer fish. (I could swear I saw a little fish walking back there one day with a hobo stick on his shoulder.) Our neighborhood has begun water conservation measures and I don't even want to talk about our water bill.
Funny thing about droughts, it takes a while before you realize you're in one. We enjoyed beautiful crystal blue skies in the spring. Days spent outside riding bikes, playing ball and frolicking in the meadow (okay, maybe no frolicking but you get my meaning). Spring football and baseball games that could have been rained out, went on as scheduled. Life was good.
Still, the days of sunshine eventually take a toll. After a few months of no rain, even that beautiful meadow begins to brown and wither. The land is parched.
As I sit out on my back porch this morning, safely covered, I hear thunder. It's faint at first but I think it's growing stronger. I am cautiously optimistic. Sure enough, here are a few drops of....could it be? Yes, I think it is - RAIN! Oh the sound of it alone is replenishing to my soul.
Psalm 42:1-2, expresses how I feel, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?"
Do you ever feel like you're in a spiritual drought? I have. It's usually during the dark times that we find ourselves crying out to God in desperate need for direction. But what about the sunny days? Do I seek Him just as earnestly? Sadly, not always. Eventually, it catches up with me. Even the good days are somehow hollow without a real sense of His presence with me.
The truth is, God is always here for us. He's the stream of living water just waiting for me to come and drink.
Am I too busy running through that sunny meadow to realize I'm getting dehydrated? How long can my last encounter with God carry me? I don't want to find out. I want to come every morning and drink up! I want to hear from God every day. Oh Lord, help me to realize that I need you all the time, not just when times are tough. Replenish my soul each morning with your thirst-quenching presence. Thank you for the rain!
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