Jeremiah 17:5-11 KJV Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.
Before you can even think of a green leaf you need a tree. Before you can even think of a tree you need a seed. It all starts from a single, simple seed! A seed is a powerful object! It has within it the potential, given the right conditions, to produce a multitude more of itself in fruit.
"Drought is an extended period when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply whether surface or underground water. A drought can last for months or years, or may be declared after as few as 15 days. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region. Although droughts can persist for several years, even a short, intense drought can cause significant damage and harm the local economy. (Wikipedia)
The most common form of drought is a lack of water vapor in the atmosphere, which is responsible for precipitation. A lack of moisture in the air causes wildfires that can damage communities and food supplies, ruin forests, or harm people and animals.
In the United States, droughts can have major impact on agriculture, recreation and tourism, water supply, energy production, and transportation.
Drought is referred to as the Creeping Disaster
"Although drought has several definitions, the central element in these definitions is water deficit. In general, drought is defined as an extended period – a season, a year, or several years – of deficient rainfall relative to the statistical multi-year average for a region.
Drought is a gradual phenomenon, slowly taking hold of an area and tightening its grip with time. In severe cases, drought can last for many years, and can have devastating effects on agriculture and water supplies."
It’s also possible for believers to experience spiritual drought in their lives. Such a drought manifests itself in:
1. Personal Drought
2. Family Drought
3. Church Drought
When such a spiritual drought is experienced those affected are cut off from the refreshing flow of the Holy Ghost power!
The enemy cannot block God from releasing His power but he can effectively stop you from receiving by various devious means thus creating a spiritual drought in your life!
If we want to bring a spiritual awakening and refreshing into this world we need to take care of, and attend to these droughts!
We can usually detect several tell tale signs when a spiritual drought sets in:
1. Sometimes it seems like there is no end in sight to the physical problems facing you
2. You appear to have lost the enjoyment of doing what you normally do for a living
3. It seems as if the bills are coming in warp speed while money to pay them struggles home through molasses.
4. You find that in your marriage you are just staying together for the sake of the children and not because you love each other
5. Church attendance is either by form and habit or on the other end it screeches to an all time low.
During a drought a few years ago it was so bad someone published this request online: “Please pray for rain: "It’s so dry in Tennessee that the Baptists are starting to baptize by sprinkling; the Methodists are using wet-wipes; the Presbyterians are giving out rain-checks; and the Catholics are praying for the wine to turn back into water.”
Many of us are experiencing dryness because so many times we are putting so many other things before God Who made it specifically clear that we should seek Him first.
Just as regular Drought is referred to as the Creeping Disaster so sometimes this spiritual dryness creeps up unaware, on us because we are so busy, so involved, so engrossed so preoccupied that we fail to wait for His Refreshing and try to run on our own.
The enemy seeks to destroy the church of Jesus Christ and he approaches this in subtle ways.
The devil infiltrates minds, families and churches seeking to distract believers from their purpose and the real reason for the church.
People are tempted and encouraged to become distracted and involved in everything else except God.
People are drawn away from prayer, Bible reading, church attendance, fellowship and enmeshed in anything that will distract.
By distracting, deceiving and diverting the church from its mission the enemy promotes spiritual drought in lives. As a result when he launches his frontal assault the weakened church is incapable of being the standard it’s supposed to be.
A classic example of distraction, diversion and declination is seen in the days of the prophet Haggai:
Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands. Haggai 1:3-11 KJV
According to Haggai why did God call a for drought on the land?
Spurgeon is one of his sermons said:
“When spiritual rain is absent
1. Ministers are allowed to preach, but are without power.
2. Ordinances are celebrated, but without the benediction of the Lord.
3. Assemblies gather, but the Lord is not in the midst.
4. The Word is read, but with no application to the heart.
5. Formality of prayer is kept up, but there is no pleading with God.
6. The Holy Ghost is restrained, and grieved.”
He continues:
1. No conversions takes place, for these are by the Spirit.
2. No restorations of backsliders. Withered plants are not revived when there is no rain.
3. No refreshing of the weary: comfort and strength come not except by the dew of heaven.
4. No spiritual activities. Lukewarmness reigns through routine unto death. The workers move like persons walking in their sleep.
5. No holy joys, delights, triumphs.
A parched season spiritually has its own signs in the individual:
1. The soul experiences no benefit under the Word.
2. The man feels glutted with the gospel, and wearied with it.
3. He begins to criticize, carp, cavil, and despise the Word.
4. Soon he is apt to neglect the hearing of it.
5. Or he hears and perverts the Word, either to boasting, to ridicule, to controversy, or to ill-living.”
The tree whose roots reach deep down to underground streams will maintain green leaves during the driest seasons of life. Roots are naturally geotropic and hydrotropic meaning they tend to go deeper and gravitate towards moisture.
Spiritual drought can be prevented by sinking our roots deep into the Spirit anointed Word of God. If there are barriers in the way the roots will be prevented from making progress vital to the life of the plant. We urgently need to reach right up into the throne room of God and hold on till it rains a spiritual refreshing into our lives.
Droughts are caused by lack of water. Spiritual droughts are caused by lack of spiritual rain...what causes lack of spiritual rain in our lives? What's spiritual rain?
Some People Feel the Rain While Others Just Get Wet.
The hearer sometimes complains that there is no food for his soul; when the truth is that there is no soul for the food.—Joseph Parker
The Bible remedy for spiritual refreshing:
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12 KJV
If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 KJV
If all the sleeping folk will wake up,
If all the lukewarm folk will fire up,
If all the dishonest folk will confess up,
If all the disgruntled folk will cheer up,
If all the depressed folk will cheer up,
If all the estranged folk will make up,
If all the gossipers will shut up,
If all true soldiers will stand up,
If all the dry bones will shake up,
If all the church members will pray up...
Then we can have a revival! - R.G. Lee
On preventing spiritual drought Spurgeon said: Let us humbly use the means without putting our trust in them, and then let us:
1. Confess our unworthiness. The Lord might justly have withheld his grace from us.
2. Acknowledge our dependence upon the heavenly showers of spiritual influence.
3. Pray incessantly, till, like Elijah, we bring down the rain.
4. Look alone to Jesus. "He shall come down like rain."
5. Value the least sign of grace, watching for it as the prophet did from the top of Carmel, till he saw the little cloud arise from the sea.
6. Use the blessing more diligently when it returns, bringing forth fruit to God.
Let this act as an incentive to gratitude to those who are wet with showers of blessing. And as a warning to those who are losing their interest in the gatherings of the Sabbath.
