(By Heather Marshall)
As I write this post, I’m sitting on the sidelines of a trampoline park watching my kids run, jump, and play. Inevitably, one of my boys runs up to me, “Mom, did you bring any water?” A common question and one that as a Mom I’ve been asked innumerable times.
Consuming water is essential to health and wellbeing. Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 50 to 70 percent of your body weight. Your body depends on water to survive.
Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body needs water to work properly. Some of the functions of water include:
Keeping your temperature normal
Lubricating and cushioning joints
Protecting sensitive tissues
We lose water through everyday bodily functions such as breathing, perspiration, etc. In order for your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.
A lack of water can lead to dehydration — a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired.
So how much water do we actually need? Studies indicate that most people require between 2.7-3.5 liters of water for daily basic bodily functions. On self-assessment, I realized that I have not been drinking nearly that amount of water daily. I’ve been living in a state of partial dehydration and I didn’t even know it!
Looking into the importance of our daily water requirements got me thinking about the state of my spiritual hydration, and if I’m honest, I’ve been feeling a little dry lately. Spiritual dryness is a season that we may experience in our Christian walk. A time when we feel distant from God or are struggling to grow spiritually.
Spiritual drought can be triggered for various reasons. We may not see God working in our lives, or maybe the pressures of life press in and we become discouraged. We may have sin in our lives that needs to be dealt with, or possibly we are going through intense physical, mental, or emotional pain. Even the busyness of life can lead to a season of spiritual dryness.
Whatever the impetus for our spiritual dryness, it’s important to remember that being in a spiritual drought does not mean that we are bad Christians. We don’t have to feel shame because just about every Christian experiences a dry patch in their walk with God. Even spiritual powerhouses like David experienced times of spiritual dryness.
Psalm 13 is an example of a season of spiritual dryness in the life of David. In the first verses of this short psalm, he expresses the separation he feels from God. “O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart everyday? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?” (Psalm 13:1-2).
David was deeply struggling, but the good news is that even though it seemed to David like the struggle would last forever, it didn’t. We see that by the end of Psalm 13 David’s attitude has changed. “But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the LORD because he is good to me” (Psalm 13:5-6). Spiritual dryness is a season and although it may feel like an eternity when we are in it, we can be sure it will come to an end.
How did David break out of this season of spiritual dryness? He honestly expressed his feelings of despair to God and asked God to answer his prayer. The psalmist tells us that he trusted in God’s unfailing love, he chose to sing and rejoice based on unchanging truth, and he remembered God’s goodness to him.
We can take the same steps and know that even though we might feel dry, feelings are only a part of any relationship, and that is no different in our relationship with our God. Remember His faithfulness: He’s made a commitment to us and although our feelings may indicate otherwise, He will never break His word. His promise to us is this:
“Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!. For the Scriptures declare, “Rivers of living water will flow from his heart’” (John 7:37-38).
Friends, Jesus has provided us with His living water that will never dry up and even though we may feel dry, we are not. Every time you take a sip of water, I encourage you to remember this truth and praise Him for the living water He has given you. He is faithful and He will see you through a dry spell.