FROM THE PULPIT: AVOIDING SPIRITUAL DROUGHT

The dry earth gasps for water. Cracks yawn wide in the ground, waiting for the deep, enriching moisture of a soaking rain. Grains and grasses wither, even the weeds eventually shrivel as the earth turns a premature brown. Harvest comes early for the fields that have had sufficient early moisture to produce. Morale sinks with the production and desperation rises with the temperature. Such is the time of drought.

We in Missouri usually get a hot, dry spell (or several) every summer. That's not new. But extended dry periods with near-record or record lack of precipitation such as we are now experiencing is noteworthy. Creeks dry up. Water use must be lessened to avoid greater crisis. The plant live obviously suffers and whatever depends on plant growth also suffers.

We all are acquainted with the hazards of heat and dry weather. We are also aware of the need for timely rains. Yet, when it comes to spiritual matters, we are woefully ignorant of times of drought in our own lives! Jesus once exclaimed in wonder as the Pharisees and Sadducees asked for a sign from heaven, "You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times!: (Mt. 16:3) They didn't recognize either the Messiah or their need for Him.

Many of us, much like those religious leaders opposed to Jesus, do not recognize our own spiritual need. We may be in the midst of a severe spiritual drought and not even know it. "How is this possible?" you might ask. 1 Timothy 4:2 speaks of those whose "conscience has been seared, as with a hot iron.: When we do not actively practice our faith, it weakens and dies. If an athlete quits working out, he will lose his strength and not be able to compete at a high level.

How can we expect to ignore our Christian duties and still grow in faith, or even hold our won? How can we continue to place church attendance (and wholehearted participation when you get there!) in such a low priority and still expect to remain strong spiritually? How can we expect our kids in school to uphold high morals if we do not practice them? And how do we expect to be kept accountable to those morals, or even to learn them and be reminded of them, if we never open our Bibles? How can we expect to know the voice of God, the Good Shepherd, who delights to lead us, if we never speak (and listen) to Him in prayer?

Certainly, reading and studying our Bibles, prayer, meditation, church and Sunday School attendance are all basics to our spiritual life and health. Those are like refreshing rain unto our souls. "On the Sabbath day, Jesus went to the synagogue, as was His custom." (Luke 4:16) "But Jesus always withdrew to lonely places and prayed." (Luke 5:16) "You are in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God." Matt. 22:29) May this and any long dry spell remind us that without regular use of worship, Bible and prayer, we, too, wither and die spiritually. For if we "delight in the law of the Lord," we shall prosper whatever the circumstances in our lives. (Psalm 1)