Living in a Dry Place

When Jan and I moved to southern Oregon 20 years ago, we spent our days off driving around the area looking for a home to purchase. In our initial search, we found a nice home on some acreage in the hills. While talking with the owner everything seemed well planned and the location was beautiful. There was only one problem. The home was built in a known dry area. In other words, there was no water for a well. After revealing that bit of information, the owner took us to the back of his property to see a large water tank he constructed. The tank needed to be filled each month by a water delivery truck. We thanked the owner for the tour of his property and moved on. 

I had forgotten about that memory until yesterday when the Lord brought it to mind along with a word of instruction. Some of you have set up your life in a dry place. The more time and energy you spend in this dry place trying to make a go of it the more vulnerable you will become. Imagine a crisis of any kind that would prohibit the water delivery truck from arriving at the home we visited. No matter how nice the home and property seemed to be, it did not have the sustaining source of life. 

If you find yourself in a spiritually dry place and you are thirsty for more, it is better to cut your losses and move along in search of a place where the living water of God’s presence is freely flowing. A dry place is not always a location. It can be a relationship, a way of thinking or a lifestyle.

This time, find the water before you attempt to build a new life. You have learned valuable lessons from building in the wrong place. God will not waste anything you went through. He will return to you what was lost and even more. Find the spiritual water and you will find the source of life needed to build and sustain your spiritual life now and for generations to come.