Dry Makes the Desperate Deep
Do you feel like you are in a spiritually dry place? It's a horrible experience, but you need it. Dry makes the desperate deep.
The Psalmist is in a desperate place. In his prayer for restoration, he recalls a dry place, the Negeb(v) desert.
"Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb!" - Psalm 126:4
The Negeb is a vast desert that comprises about half of the landmass of the nation of Israel. It is one of the dryest places on Earth, averaging only 3 inches of rain per year.
The 3 inches of rain typically comes in a downpour. The desert is suddenly flowing with streams. Once barren soil begins teaming with life. Plants in this region can sit dormant for long periods, but sprout up quickly, bear fruit, and distribute seed.
And this is our desperate desire in the dryness. We want a sudden downpour of blessing to refresh our souls. In the drought, God puts the seeds of hope in the soil of our souls (Rom 5:3-5). His answer to prayer changes our barren sorrow to fertile fields of blessing.
But then it's gone. 3 inches of rain does not last long. It's a flash flood. It's essential, but not sustaining. We are desperate for a downpour, but we need more.
Deep Wells in Desert Places
Scientists have discovered one of the largest deposits of subterranean water 14,000 feet below the surface of the Negeb. It is called the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer. It is a freshwater reservoir that is 20x the size of the Great Lakes. It contains the equivalent of 500 years of river flow from the Nile.
Engineers are discovering ways to tap into this valuable resource. The result is that cities are being built in a once uninhabitable desert.
We don't just need a downpour. We need something down deep. On the surface, the downpour becomes a flood that runs off quickly, but where does it go? Showers of blessing will only evaporate into dry river beds if we do not also have ready reservoirs down deep. Downpours are refreshing and bring fruit, but it is the deep wells that you must draw from to build cities in the desert.
God allows us to go dry so we will not just become desperate, but deep. I can "get fat" on the blessings of God.
It's like that large meal you've been looking forward to all day. You sit down, and there is so much food to enjoy. And, for a time, it is delicious! But then comes a time when you're so full that you don't even know why you're still eating. The food doesn't even taste good anymore. You don't appreciate it. You're not hungry for it. You don't even want it.
Sometimes we are so blessed that we are no longer desperate for God.
We have to hunger again. The dry will make you desperate, but don't forget to dig deep. We appreciate the downpour but also dig the well.
Bible Study:
Read Psalm 63. If you want to dig a little deeper consult a commentary.
- List all of the ways God helps those who seek Him.
- What are the promises (both stated or implied) to be believed?
- List all of the ways the Psalmist seeks God.
Challenge
Notice that in Psalm 63, the writer is active in his seeking the Lord. Make a list of active ways you can seek God over the next 5 days. Make some intentional changes to your schedule that will facilitate you seeking God.
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