Casandra Martin

It hasn’t rained in months. The ground is dusty, cracked, and thirsty. A brown haze fills the sky as the unceasing wind pulls the dry earth into a dance with the cloudless blue. Withered crops crumble in the fields. Livestock move aimlessly looking for green pasture. Fire leaves scars on the ground as evidence of the ravages of rainless, sun-soaked days.

Drought is not pretty. It wounds the land, stabbing its fierce heat into the heart of the soil. It eats away at life, pulling the green we recognize as signs of growth and health out of the landscape. It leaves dreams in the dust, hope withering under its fury, and a sense of desolation and destruction in its slow, choking wake.

Droughts don’t happen overnight. They take slow steps forward as days without rain take their toll. At first, no one thinks about a week without rain. It is only when weeks turn into months that people start seeing the effects the lack of life-giving moisture has on the life around them. Defined by a reality that first impacts the basics of soil, roots, and seed, the drought takes hold deep in the heart of the land, tightening its grip with each rainless day.

Droughts of the soul are even more devastating than droughts that ravage the land.

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” – Psalm 63:1

Droughts of the soul can only be answered in the refreshing, renewing presence of God. The only way to quench the thirst burning in our hearts is to dive into the deep well of His grace. The Living Water is the only answer to the cracks and deep brokenness revealed in times of spiritual drought. Our roots need to be buried firmly in His Word. Our ability to thrive and grow is nurtured in dependence on His faithfulness. The shade of His presence is our best refuge from the scorching heat of the world.

My Jesus Resolution today is to drink deeply from the water of life. Farmers have no choice about a drought on the land. They know the value of water. They would choose drenching rains over the terrible wastefulness of drought any day. Droughts of the soul can be caused by inattentiveness, lack of focus, or dipping into the mirages offered by the world. Today I am going to be deliberate about immersing myself in the pool of His mercy. I am going to seek His face and soak in the delight of His love. As I pray for rain for the land, I am going to pray for Him to reign in my life, quenching the deep thirst of my soul with His presence and power.