I don't know about you but there comes a time in my life and Christian journey that as a sojourner I experienced a dried brook. Unlike Elijah,it ain't the literal Brook going dry but rather the spiritual well going dry. That no matter how hard I try, praying becomes extremely difficult and so does reading the Word of God. At this times, my greatest strength comes from attending fellowship both the midweek Bible study and Sunday service. I often try to listen to sermons and teachings which sometime the attention to it is not sufficient.
It has been one of those driest season catapult both by circumstances in life and some strange reason I can't quite figure out.
So I sit in a matatu this beautiful morning; A golden glow spread across the sky as the sun chased the dark clouds away and I begin to silently reflect in the past months... Well two months as I focus on the holistic circle of life. I am disturbed at the state of things and mostly my devotion. I get anxious and feel that I am treading a not so good slidy slope. I am sick of it and I want to get back with vigor to my first love. Apart of me feels that wrong voice of condemnation and that is when another silent voice of God says something to counter that voice. And I understand in my silence that a desert is a place of chastening to a point where you realise that its not how much you pray or consistently read the Bible that determine your right standing with God. On the contrary, praying so much and reading the Word daily just to think of yourself as doing the right things and upholding the Christian discipline in itself brings in a sense of self righteousness.
We do not stand in faith by just doing those things and many others including fasting but rather by turning our hearts completely to God and studying the Word and doing what it says because of the changed man in us. That maintaining a routine that eventually makes you proud that I read my Bible three times a day and pray 4 times grows spiritual pride.
So this morning, I was reminded that sometime God takes us through a desert of dryness that He may remind us that we don't attain righteousness by praying or attending church and serving consistently. Its not attained by how much we feel connected to God but rather is attained through the power of the Cross and believe in the Christ crucified. And that season of dry spell basically takes you to the drawing board and gives that kind reminder that we can not and we will never work out our own righteousness because we will fail terribly. We are indeed clothed in Christ Jesus righteousness.
So yes, a dry season doesn't mean God is not working in your life. In fact, He is at the very centre to remind us that it is all about Him.
I am encouraged and chastened and I bless the Lord for the dryness because even then He remains to be a good God.What then shall we say? The dry season doesn't mean that the spring of wellness in your soul has ceased to pump living waters because even when you think so, the Lord still ministers to you in that dry brook.
by Miss Hudson's
