“When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never forsake them. I will open up rivers for them on high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. In the deserts they will find pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the dry, parched ground. I will plant trees—cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine—on barren land. Everyone will see this miracle and understand that it is the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, who did it.”
~Isaiah 41:17-20
Here it is, another promise from God. Oh how we need His comfort and reassurance on a daily basis. For those who have given their lives to Jesus, this passage is a promise that He will never leave us and that He will pour out life-supporting water during the driest of times in the most seemingly impossible places. We have but to call on Him. He says He will answer when we go searching.
The Bible declares there is a time for everything and a season for every purpose under heaven. “A time to be born and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to harvest,” it says in Ecclesiastes 3:2. I really dig the harvest seasons. I take great joy in the colorful array of flowers that spring up in our modest garden. Though planting seems arduous at times, we have the hope of what is to come, a picture of the harvest ahead. Sometimes the image is sharp and clear while other times it is almost impressionistic, much like a Monet. But that flowerbed is coming, the harvest is coming, of that we can be sure.
The planting season can be so laborious. Hours upon hours are spent clearing weeds, preparing soil, planting seeds and—if like me, you have no outdoor water supply—you’ve got to haul water up and down two flights of stairs. The toil leaves me feeling so thirsty. No matter how much water I guzzle down, I always need more.
So it is in our Christian lives. Seasons for everything. Droughts and downpours. Sometimes I feel as though the Lord is just flooding me with life-changing insights and there are other times where things aren’t necessarily bad, but nothing remarkable seems to be happening. Ever feel that way yourself? Perhaps, like me, you sometimes feel spent and thirsty, poured out, day in and day out, labouring over your Spiritual field, digging and planting and sowing the Spiritual seeds. You press on, with the Spiritual water bottle of God’s word at your side, constantly guzzling it down…otherwise you’ll pass out. For as much Spiritual water as you’ve been drinking, you still feel somewhat dry and thirsty. But it’s a season and the next one is on the way.
The Bible declares there is a time for everything and a season for every purpose under heaven. “A time to be born and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to harvest,” it says in Ecclesiastes 3:2. I really dig the harvest seasons. I take great joy in the colorful array of flowers that spring up in our modest garden. Though planting seems arduous at times, we have the hope of what is to come, a picture of the harvest ahead. Sometimes the image is sharp and clear while other times it is almost impressionistic, much like a Monet. But that flowerbed is coming, the harvest is coming, of that we can be sure.
The planting season can be so laborious. Hours upon hours are spent clearing weeds, preparing soil, planting seeds and—if like me, you have no outdoor water supply—you’ve got to haul water up and down two flights of stairs. The toil leaves me feeling so thirsty. No matter how much water I guzzle down, I always need more.
So it is in our Christian lives. Seasons for everything. Droughts and downpours. Sometimes I feel as though the Lord is just flooding me with life-changing insights and there are other times where things aren’t necessarily bad, but nothing remarkable seems to be happening. Ever feel that way yourself? Perhaps, like me, you sometimes feel spent and thirsty, poured out, day in and day out, labouring over your Spiritual field, digging and planting and sowing the Spiritual seeds. You press on, with the Spiritual water bottle of God’s word at your side, constantly guzzling it down…otherwise you’ll pass out. For as much Spiritual water as you’ve been drinking, you still feel somewhat dry and thirsty. But it’s a season and the next one is on the way.
The LORD will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.” Isaiah 58:11
The drought will pass. Fountains, pools and rivers lie just 'round the bend.
