Spiritually Parched

There have been times in my life that I have been spiritually parched and have even become dull towards the things of God.  Those times were typically marked by a lack of focus and a lack of desire to maintain a relationship with Him.  I suppose one could say that I was walking in the wilderness of life with no real purpose for existence--I was living for the moment and for myself.  Those were times that I lost sight of my high calling as a believer and shifted the focus from Christ to me.

As I study church history, going back to the reformation, God worked mightily on behalf of those who sought Him with a pure heart.  It was through those who were willing to set their own agendas aside and hear from God that great things were done.  The reformers and preachers that were involved in the great revivals testified of God's blessing due to a humbling of His people, praying for God to change them, yielding to Him in obedience, and then God added His blessing.  It was really nothing magical; God operates on the principles set forth in His Word.  Many times we as believers are guilty of wanting the garbage in our lives to stay there while we offer our sacrifices of praise to the Lord.  We often want God's favor and yet we fail to understand what He wants from us (holiness).  God is clear that he desires our obedience first and foremost and not our burnt offerings as a result of our disobedience (1 Sam. 15:22).  Great things happen when God's people humble themselves and seek the face of God (2 Chron. 7:14).  We will remain spiritually parched apart from God.

Jesus said in John 4:14, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” There are no substitutes to what we find in Jesus Christ alone.  Jesus Christ came in order that we might have life and that we might have it abundantly (John 10:10).  Please do not misunderstand the life that Christ gives.  He call us to a life of denying our own desires and a life of "taking up our cross" and following Him.  This is a matter of choosing to obey Him each day and focusing on His glory and not ours.

As long as we are pursuing the things of this world we will remain spiritually parched--we can expect heartache, frustration, and disappointments. God wants to revive our hearts for His glory.  Could we humble ourselves today,  seek His forgiveness for our disobedience, and love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength?  This is indeed the way to an abundant life.

"Please revive our hearts O God that we might make YOUR name GREAT!"