WEEK ONE: REST IN PRESENCE
Several years ago, we had the privilege of traveling out to Arizona and Utah to hike at the Grand Canyon and the five big National Parks in Utah. One of the cardinal rules of hiking anywhere (but particularly when you are hiking in the very dry climate of what is known as the high desert) is to make sure to stay hydrated. We had been on the trip for several days and had done some significant hiking when we arrived at Arches National Park. We were having a conversation with someone who told us that one of the “must-see” activities was to hike to Delicate Arch and view it at sunset. That day we had gone pretty hard and done about ten miles of hiking when we decided we would make the 1.5 mile, one-way sunset hike. About halfway through the ascent, I suddenly began to experience the symptoms of dehydration and possibly heat stroke. Although I thought I had been drinking enough water, I suddenly found myself needing and craving a drink. I had never experienced thirst like that. Fortunately, I was able to find some shade, sit down, and drink what water I had in my backpack, allowing my body to cool down. Only then was I able to finish the climb.
How often can our spiritual journey feel like that? We go hard, but we neglect the right spiritual nourishment that we need only to find ourselves feeling spiritually dry or empty. Maybe we haven’t been going hard but rather we have let up and just not done what we should be doing. Or maybe we just find ourselves in a very bad situation and feel like we don’t have any connection to God. Whatever the circumstances, you find yourself in a desperate situation, desperately in need of God.
The dictionary defines the word desperation as a feeling that you are in such a bad situation that you will try anything to change it. Unfortunately, too many times that desperation leads to rash, reckless, or extreme behavior. So, when you find yourself in one of these difficult situations, where do you run? What do you do? Is your first response to turn to God, or is it to try and figure a way out yourself? Do you turn to relationships, busyness, or distractions to fill your dryness?
The psalmist in Psalm 42 finds himself feeling far from God in a very dry spiritual place. In the middle of that dryness, he fights to remember God’s faithfulness, to remember what it was like when he felt close to God. Just like the writer, we need to turn to Jesus when we are spiritually dry. Be honest about your need and longing for God. Speak truth to yourself and don’t buy into the lies of the enemy, and then pursue the presence of God again. Dry times will come, but Jesus is always there, ready to quench that thirst and to provide the living water that we need to satisfy our spiritual thirst.