I am getting a little thirsty here!

God, you are my God. I am searching so hard to find you. Body and soul, I thirst for you in this dry and weary land without water. (Psalm 63:1 ERV)

There are times in our lives which we would have to say are "drier" than others. They might be within relationship, on the job, or even our spiritual lives. Within relationships, things grow "stale" and kind of "routine", leading those within it to just "coast" for a while without making much effort to keep things alive and flourishing. At work, the flurry of deadlines may have been met, bringing a longer than expect lull in your workload that just leaves you a little lost and without any real sense of pressure. In our spiritual lives, a "lull" or "dry" season may actually be more of a lazy drift rather than an abrupt ending. Either way, when we begin any kind of "dry season" in our lives, it may be a little bit harder than we expected to "rebound" or "start again" after experiencing such a prolonged dryness.

Dry seasons don't have to be an end, though. Many a farmer will tell you there is something tremendously rewarding in taking the plow to dry ground. It may be hard to get that soil turned over and properly prepared for the seed about to be sown, but until it is plowed, there is no chance new seed will actually "take". Dry seasons don't have to defeat us - they can be launching ground for new growth if we will allow the "fallow ground" of that relationship, career, or connection with God to be broken up. If you haven't noticed it yet, brokenness is actually what yields growth!

The hardest ground may not seem to promise much from where you are viewing it right now, but God sees what is just beneath the surface. In dry places within our relationships, we may have to "do again" some of the things that brought us together in the first place. I think this may be why most counselors will tell married couples not to ever stop "dating" one another. Making time that is consistently kept as time for each other helps keep things strong within the relationship. To begin again means those individuals may have to learn to communicate about matters that are dear to their heart, be truthful when things bug them, and even get into each other's interests once in a while. 

There isn't anything wrong with dry places as long as they don't remain that way. Dryness causes us to thirst - thirst causes us to seek - seeking usually leads to discovery. This might be the greatest reward in dryness - the discoveries we make about each other, ways we can contribute differently within our job, and where it is God wants us to experience new things about him. Just sayin!

Dry does not equal barren

Okay, admit it, you just didn't think I'd be able to come up with any character trait for the letter "x"!  Well, sorry to disappoint, but I actually do have one: Xerarch - the ability to grow in dry places.  If the truth be told, many of us face those "dry places" in life much more than we do the really well-watered ones!  Those "barren" places just don't look very promising when we are smack-dab in the middle of them, do they?  In fact, the very word "barren" suggests "sterile" ground - unproductive, unfruitful.  I challenge this idea, though.  I think the barren places are the exact places God will choose to show his power in our lives! 

If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people’s sins, if you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.  I will always show you where to go.  I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—firm muscles, strong bones.  You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry.  You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past.  You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.  (Isaiah 58:9-12 MSG)

A full in life in the emptiest places - isn't this the same as "dry places"?  Dryness actually produces emptiness.  Emptiness begs to be filled.  Even dry places become "collectors" of something.  Here in Arizona, we have dust storms from time to time - big ones!  The roof shingles get a real workout with some of the high winds!  What do those winds do in the driest places?  They stir up the dust, moving anything which has withered and become "brittle" in the heat of the day.  One of the things we are known for is our tumbleweeds.  In the midst of the dry places, these weeds spring up, wither and die - leaving mere skeletons of what once was.  When the winds come, those are easily plucked from their spots and are carried away in the winds.  The desert floor will be littered with the results of the windstorm - not much to look at, but signs of growth once there.  What we don't see is the result of the winds - they move the seeds and spread the soil over them.  In the coolness of winter, the rains will come.  The growth once evident on the desert floor will once again be seen.  Even dry places have the promise of growth!

Our lives are much like the desert floor at times - filled with all kinds of "tumbleweed" issues.  They spring up, looking like they are going to produce something of real value in our lives, but they just cannot stand the heat of the day, so they wither where they took root.  Plucked up by the storms of life, the "floor" of our lives is cleared again to become the planting spot for the things which promise lasting growth.  Until the dead stuff is cleared, the "void" we really have cannot be filled.  The dead stuff takes up valuable room in our lives - they have to be cleared away first.  I take heart in the words of our passage this morning - God uses the rubble of our old lives to build anew! That means even the stuff which looks dead has a purpose!  As those tumbleweeds blow across the desert floor, they serve as a "sweeper" of sorts. They begin to gather other dead rubble in their path and sweep it along in the path they are taking with the force of the winds.  As the old is cleared away, the place for newness to spring forth is prepared.

If you have ever studied the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem found in the books of Nehemiah and Ezra, you will understand what I am going to say next.  They didn't "start over" with the building materials - they used what they had, salvaging what could become useful again when placed in right order.  Some of the things in our lives are simply not in "right order".  Sure, we need "new materials" to be infused, just as Nehemiah and Ezra did, but there is some portion of our experiences, past learning, and even our past mistakes which can be put in "right order" again.  Once in the "right order" those things no longer become stumbling blocks, but foundation in our lives!

God uses the old, brings in the new, and ensures the way is made for the dry places to bring forth something afresh and promising.  The dry places seem more frequent in our lives because they are the hardest to endure.  Anyone hiking across the desert will tell you it is the hardest hike they have taken - until they try to climb Everest!  The altitude of the highest peaks can also be our "undoing"!  We long for the "peaks" and "lush valleys" in life.  The point between both may very well be the driest places - God stands smack-dab in the midst of the driest place, his hand poised to bring forth growth where none seemed possible.  Just sayin!

Emptied to be filled again

^1-2 Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink. The people took Moses to task: "Give us water to drink." But Moses said, "Why pester me? Why are you testing God?"

 ³ But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, "Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?"
(Exodus 17:1-3 The Message)

Yesterday, we began to explore the lessons of the barren places of the wilderness we find ourselves in at times.  We looked at the fact that we often find ourselves "camping out" at a place where it seems like no provision will ever be made.  We find ourselves complaining, even growing a little bitter because of the seeming lack of provision in the time we are experiencing.  Today, I'd like us to consider that the steps of a righteous man (and woman) are "ordered" by God.  That means that even the dry places are by his provision!

The most awesome lesson we can embrace in the wilderness barren places of our lives is that provision for our deliverance is only available through our obedience.  Moses was called upon to lead this group of wanderers.  In his leadership, he was often faced with the challenge of a very discouraged group of followers - complaining to him about the seeming barren places they would find themselves experiencing.  That is how we are - we get delivered from something way too powerful and strong for us to ever overcome on our own (like they were delivered from the hands of the Egyptian armies) - and the next thing you know, we are in a dry place and think God has abandoned us! 

The main reason we take so long to actually get out of the wilderness is our "slowness" to learn the lessons of the wilderness journey.  The stages of the wilderness are often shortened through our immediate response to trust God, to be obedient to his direction.  But...obedience is hard and we often struggle with what we don't understand, so we "linger" a little longer at the dry places and bitter waters because of our own struggles!

When all we can see is our past, bemoaning what it is that we have "lost" in our past, we never really see the provision of the present.  In fact, we cannot see the present,  nor the future, until we turn from focusing on the past and move toward the new!  There is a lesson in the wilderness - that is the lesson of release.  In the wilderness, barren places, we learn the value of "releasing" what we have held onto with such tenacity - our past!  It may be something we viewed as "good and enjoyable" - not really a bad thing for us, but something that God wants us to be able to "release" to him so that we can press deeper into him.  It may indeed be something that God desires us to let go of because it weighs us down unnecessarily.  Regardless of the lesson of release he is teaching us, we need to be willing to open our hands (and our hearts) to let go of what he asks us to leave behind.

When we find ourselves in the midst of our complaints about the wilderness - the barren and dry places of our life - we often don't hear the voice of direction.  We miss out on the small voice of God's refreshing that direct us into the places of refreshing we so desperately yearn for.  The stages of the wilderness may just be shortened a little if we'd learn to be quiet long enough, and frequently enough, to listen for his voice in the moments of seeming barrenness.

I just returned from a trip to the East Coast - enjoying a week in the tall oaks, observing the changing of the colors of the leaves, marveling at the intensity of greens, yellows, oranges, and reds.  The time was definitely a refreshing retreat from the struggles of the present "battles" that I found myself in just prior to leaving.  I am never more thankful for the dry place than when I get to experience the refreshment of his provision!  Remember, getting through the wilderness is done in stages.  The steps may seem a little methodical, and a little tumultuous, but they are indeed steps that will reveal his provision all along the way when we keep our eyes focused on him.

When we begin to experience "release" of what we once counted on, held onto so dearly, we sometimes feel a little barren - emptied inside.  That is another lesson of the wilderness - it leaves you empty just long enough to be filled up again!  God's goal is to empty us of what really does us no good to hold onto and to fill us with that which will refresh us for the journey ahead.  Not sure what you are being asked to let go of today, but just know that when you are emptied, he stands ready to fill!

Water...I need water!

^1-2 Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink. The people took Moses to task: "Give us water to drink."  But Moses said, "Why pester me? Why are you testing God?"  ³ But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, "Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?"  

(Exodus 17:1-3 The Message)

Okay, I just have to ask this question - why on earth would a huge band of wandering people actually "camp out" in a place where there was absolutely no visible water for their basic physical needs?  Sometimes I think we just don't "think" about where it is that we "camp out" for a while along the way.  We "get going" with God really well, then all of a sudden, we find ourselves "camped out" at a place that seems barren, without any provision for our basic needs, let alone our spiritual needs!  Then what do we do?  You got it!  We complain to God because we are in a barren and dry place!  There are times that I wonder if God would just as soon answer with "Duh!" instead of his overwhelming patience.

As I was reading this passage with my weekly Bible Study small group, I just got carried away by God to a place of considering the words of the passage.  I want us to break this down a little to see what God can reveal to us through these "wilderness wanderings" of his people, Israel.  First, I saw that the passage began with the words, "Directed by God".  That means that they weren't in a barren and dry place totally because they just wandered out their on their own.  They were on a path with God and came upon this dry place.  The fact is, we don't know what the path will hold, but God does.  He is aware of the exact points of "barrenness and dryness" that are part of the wilderness journey and he prepares a way out of the desert place (in his time).

Coming out of the desert place is often done in stages.  We seldom find that moving from the wilderness into the land of plenty is never a "direct" journey for us.  In fact, we see that the wilderness almost presents obstacles to us ever getting out of that place!  Water was essential to this group - and they had none.  It likely seemed quite impossible to them that they'd ever leave the wilderness without the provision of water they'd need to make the journey.  We would probably equate this to the various "things" that just seem to keep "coming up" in our journey that seem to "trip us up" a little.  The fact is, God prepared this people to make the move to this very place.  Therefore, there must be a provision in what appears to have nothing of value!

Why do we move by stages through the wilderness?  God has to take enough time to teach us the lessons of the wilderness.  I think there are a lot of lessons that we only become attune to when we are stripped of all we depend upon and are face-to-face with our utter need.  In those places, no provision that we could make on our own will get us through.  In fact, we keep camping out at the bitter waters and the dry places, completely unaware of the miracle that lies just beyond the points of our intensest need!

The waters you face in the wilderness today may be a little bitter, if they exist at all.  The bitterness of reliance on our own efforts, past failures, disappointments of missed opportunities - all need God's touch to truly make them "sweetness" in our lives.  In the place of barrenness and thirst, we finally find that God's touch is all that will take care of the bitterness we have experienced.

Tomorrow, I will expand upon these lessons of the barren place a little further.  Until then, don't curse God for the barren place, but thank him for the miracle that is just around the corner.  His purpose in the barren place is just to drive us further into his provision!

Parched ground

Parched ground that soaks up the rain and then produces an abundance of carrots and corn for its gardener gets God's "Well done!" But if it produces weeds and thistles, it's more likely to get cussed out. Fields like that are burned, not harvested.

(Hebrews 6:7-8)

Dry ground has many disadvantages - one of which is the extreme danger of fire.  For those following the news, the stories about how Arizona forests are being ravaged by wildfires has become a common theme for over a month now.  According to the reports, over 120 miles of state highways are closed due to smoke and ash.  People have endured the evacuation of their homes and continue to wait for the word that they can return.  The fires found a "fertile" ground for their destruction simply because of the lack of rain this year.  They were fueled by the dryness of the forest floor and the winds of the season.

The condition of the "ground" impacts us in varying degrees.  Our perspective and our purpose for that "ground" determines how we will treat that dry ground.  If you are a farmer, dry ground is non-productive. and therefore, it affects his ability to yield a crop.  If you are a builder, dry ground is actually an advantage because every "dry day" allows for uninterrupted building.  One relishes the "dryness", the other curses it.

Parched ground is dry - it is thirsty.  As a little girl, I loved going into the desert with my father.  We'd explore for hours and nothing pleased me more than to come to one of those areas where water had sat for a while on the dry desert floor before it was soaked in.  Those upturned pieces of dried earth, all cracked and ready to be lifted up were so intriguing to me.  I loved to turn them over to see if there was anything underneath.  Every once in a while, I'd be rewarded with a desert-dweller like a beetle, a small earthworm, etc.  Most of the time, there was nothing more than more "dryness" under the surface.

The surface reflected the reality of the barrenness underneath.  In fact, you might say, "What you see is what you get!"  The desert did little to cover-up the fact that there was a barrenness that was more than "surface-deep".  Don't you wish that the same could be said about us?  We are just the opposite - we attempt to "pretty-up" the surface so no one realizes the barrenness that lays just beneath the surface!  We hope that by presenting the "image" of "fertile ground" we will avoid the scrutiny of "inspecting eyes".

The truth is that we are known by what we produce.  If the soil of our hearts, minds, and spirits are nothing more than barren and dry places, we produce nothing.  The dryness leaves us at the mercies of the "elements" around us - fires can rage, storms can blow up a flurry of activity that leaves us in a mess. If the soil of our hearts, minds, and spirits is regularly watered and tended, the chances of it producing something of great value is far greater than that of untended "ground".