DRY?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (I did this in 3 parts)
Do you know that Dawson Springs, Kentucky has “MULE DAYS” in May of each year? Perhaps we should charter a bus and go celebrate stubbornness?
“DRY”: Physical? Mentally? Emotionally? Spiritually? “DRY.”
Dry: to feel distant from God: (I can’t see, feel God.) To be empty, clay: not pliable, destitute of moisture, not moist, drought, no rain, not green, no sap, not juicy, no tears, no emotions, a cow goes dry: gives no milk, barren, drained, exhausted, drained, thirsty, sarcastic, scorched, parched, drought.
“WATER” IS A TYPE IN THE BIBLE. WATER IS SYMBOLIC OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE TOUCH OF GOD.
“DRY” IS A SYMBOL OF HOPELESSNESS, SUFFERING, THE ABSENCE OF GOD, JUDDGMENT THE LACK OF BLESSINGS.
Psalm 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE TERM “JUDAS GOAT?” In large slaughter house where numbers of sheep are killed daily they train what is called “THE JUDAS GOAT.” So the Judas Goat is used in stock yards where they kill many sheep a day. The sheep are broken into small groups of around ten. They then are lead to be slaughtered. The JUDAS GOAT leads them from the stall to the ramp to be slaughtered. The Judas Goat is trained to walk to the stall and starts walking to the death ram. Half way up the ramp the goat stops and the sheep walk through the door to their death. Quietly the sheep follow the goat not know the march is to their death. Then the Judas Goat waits and returns to the next stall to lead another group of sheep. They blindly and quietly walk up the ramp and the goat stands and watches.
It is so hard to teach people they better be very careful who they hang with? They may go to the gallows. Pick your friends. But don’t pick them to pieces. Broad is the way, easy is the road that leads to DRYNESS OF SPIRIT. WATCH OUT FOR THE JUDAS GOATS.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
BEWARE, TAKE HEED THERE ARE MANY PATHS AND MANY PEOPLE THAT WILL LEAD YOU TO ACCEPT THE DRY SPIRIT AS A NORM?
There are many lessons hidden in God’s Word. One such lesson is the “LESSON OF THE SUFFERING SERVANT.”
There can be several reasons for DRYNESS and SUFFERING. The two basic reasons could be: 1. Judgment, consequences of doing wrong. Pay day for sin. 2. DRYNESS CAN BE PREPARATIONAL getting us ready for the work of God. We need to learn to identify dryness.
BEWARE OUR ENEMY, STAN AND ALL HIS DEMONS LOVE DRYNESS. THE HOLY SPIRIT REPRESENTSED BY WATER… SEEMS THE DEVILS HATE WATER… (If you never read David Wilkerson’s sermon: THE DEVIL CAN’T SWIM, I SUGGEST YOU LOOK IT UP AND READ IT.) NEVER FORGET THE DEVIL LOVES DRY PLACES…
Luke 11:24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
DO YOU KNOW THE PROMISE? GOD KNOWS WHAT SPIRITUAL DRYNESS CAN DO SO GOD MADE A WRITTEN PROMISE THAT WE CAN COUNT ON…
Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
WHAT COULD BE WORSE THAN “BONES? HOW ABOUT “DRY BONES?” There is a valley full of hopelessness.
The bones in Ezekiel represent Israel and or the Church. There has been a spiritual drought and the DRY BONES speak of human hopelessness. There is no human power that can correct this dryness. BUT GOD!
Clearly identify the problem?
Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
THERE IS A QUESTION WE MUST PERSONALLY ANSWER: CAN THESE BONES LIVE AGAIN? The Preacher cops out and refers the question back to God!
Ezekiel 37:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
FEW EVER LEARN THE POWER OF THE SPOKEN WORD… GOD TELLS THE PREACHER, YOU HAVE TO SPEAK THE WORD, SPEAK CLEARLY AND LET OTHERS HEAR YOUR DECLARATION OF FAITH.
Ezekiel 37:4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO COME TO THIS DRY VALLEY? TO SHOW THE WORLD KNOWS GOD’S LOVE AND LIFE.
Ezekiel 37:13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
JUDGMENT HAS COVER THE NATION OF ISRAEL. THERE HAS BEEN A TERRIBLE DROUGHT. THE KING AND QUEEN HATE THE PREACHER! HONESTLY THEY HATE GOD’S WORD AND JUDGMENT. THIS TERRIBLE DROUGHT WAS JUDGMENT FOR THE KING AND PREPARATIONAL FOR THE PREACHER.
The King and Queen blame the Preacher for the drought. The people were crying where is God? Does God hear me? Does God see this dryness? This dryness brings death to some. For others this dryness is a test? A season to grow? A time to believe by Faith? What makes the difference: JUDGMENT or a TIME TO PREPARE FOR GOD’S MOVE?
All great people of God know DRY SEASONS: Moses? Elijah? Jesus? Paul? We must know the WORD OF GOD and His promises. Read the Bible! Pray! Praise! And GIVE THANKS!
DIVINE PROVISIONS DURING DRY SEASONS! God has a plan… I heard a TV preacher’s wife say: ELIJAH’S ATTITUDE SPEAK THE DRY BROOK? No God did not desires the Preacher to stay by the brook the rest of his life. When things go dry, get up and find God’s will.
1 Kings 17:7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
Elijah runs for his life and then prays God kill me? Elijah need not fear Jezebel death order on his ministry.
Whay do we do when our DIVINE PROVISIONS DRY UP? I THANK God for the birds and the water in the creek, up God does not desire us to become lazy and stay here… GROW…
ELIJAH FIRST ASKS FOR WATER BEFORE HE ASK FOR FOOD. We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit!
GOD HIS PREPARING HIS MAN TO COMPLETELY TRUST GOD’S PLAN. Elijah’s dry test was not over…
1 Kings 17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
GOD IS TRYING TO TRAIN HIS PEOPLE FOR THE JOURNEY AHEAD… THE TWO KINDS OF DRYNESS: 1. SIN, LAZINESS, FATNESS, DO NOTHING…. 2. TEACHING US TO BE PREPARED FOR THE JOURNEY OF FAITH.
God desires to train up GIANT KILLERS, CHAMPIONS OF FAITH TO ACCOMPLISH GOD’S WORK AND SHOW THE WORLD. God calls us to action…
Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Philippians 4 warns us HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESAH, don’t follow the Judas Goat… and trust the FLESH ENTERTAINMENT TRAIL.
ELIJAH HAS SEVERAL DRY SEASONS IN HIS MINISTRY… 7 times up the mountain?
The drought? 450 false prophets, Ahab, Jezebel, at ELIJAH’S LOWEST, DRYEST POINT HE FINDS GOD IS FAITHFUL…
1 Kings 19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
BE REAL, WE MUST APPROACH THE PRPESENCE OF GOD… GOD’S GLORY WILL NOT BE SHARED…
1 Kings 19:6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
HAGAR’S BAD ATTITUDES CATCH UP WITH HER. SHE IS IN A DRY PLACE AND HER SON IS GOING TO DIE DRY… THEY MADE ALL THE WRONG CHOICES, NOW DRYNESS HITS…
Genesis 21:15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
Hagar could not stand to watch her son die of dryness. So she walks a distance away. God does not hear her prayer. But GOD HEARD THE LAD’S PRAYER… read it and see? THERE WAS DIVINE PROVISIONS FOR THEM…
Genesis 21:19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
It appears there was a well of water right in front of them. They could not see. GOD OPEN OUR EYES TO THE REVIVAL BEFORE US.
CONCLUSION: NEVER ALLOW DRYNESS TO KILL US… RATHER IT IS TO GROW US. WE ARE NOT ORPHANS! Orphans with no hope. The Holy spirit will lead us to the water of God’s plan. Dry spells are part of life.
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Be full and stay full, be running over…
Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Perhaps we will find GOD’S WORK IN THE DESERT… THE FURNACE, LION’S DEN? THE WATER OF LIFE DIED THIRSY…
Psalm 69:2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
The son of God dying thirsty demonstrates the HUMANITY OF CHRIST! Jesus promised at the last supper, HE WILL DRINK WHEN WE ALL GET TO HEAVEN.
John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
THERE IS ETERNAL WATER THAT WE NEVER HAVE TO BE DRY OR THIRST AGAIN.
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
My hands are so small, could you whisper a prayer for me? (I do this in 3 parts)
