SPIRITUAL ZOMBIES? … RUNNING ON EMPTY.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
Job said: I give up, I am tired of living, leave me alone. My life makes no sense?
COME LET US REASON: THERE ARE 4 WORDS THAT HANG AROUND IN A GANG. THEY TRAVEL TOGETHER.
*DRY: no moisture, dull, not interesting, boring, lacking freshness, stale,
*TIRED: needing rest, drained, no strength, fatigued, exhausted.
*WEARY: no vigor, no endurance, after exertion over a period of time, lacking drive, not pushing forward.
*EMPTY: contain nothing, lacking meaning, vacant, blank, and no purpose.
Galatians 6:77 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
EMPTY COMES AS A RESULT OF DRYNESS, TIREDNESS, WEARINESS AND BEING EMPTY. EMPTINESS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ALL FACE... the EMPTY SYNDROME is very real and can attack at any age level.
Deuteronomy 28:23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
ARE WE EMPTY? SPIRITUAL ZOMBIES? EMPTY: Have we ever lost our purpose in daily living? What goals do you have?
WHAT DO WE DO WHEN OUR SOURCE DRIES UP? I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE SAY: ELIJAH PROPHESIED HIS BROOK DRY. THIS IS NOT TRUE: THE EXPERIENCE AT THE BROOK AND AT THE WIDOW’S HOUSE ARE JUST TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENTS. WHEN THERE HAS BEEN NO RAIN, GOD HAS A PLAN… WHEN YOUR BROOK GOES DRY MIGHT NOT BE A BAD THING?
1 Kings 17:5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. 7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
ALL PEOPLE EXPERIENCE ALL KINDS OF EMOTIONS. Long lasting negative emotions can destroy the peace of God. We call long lasting emotions: MOODS. CAN WE IDENTIFY SOME SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL EMPTINESS?
* Mental and spiritual confusion. Vacant. Abandonment. Dread. Ever have a sleeping disorder? Sleep too little? Sleep too much? Loss of interest or pleasure. NO JOY. Hollow. Loss of sense of direction. Fear, DIFFICULTY, hard, worry, sadness, you have been rejected (real or imagined), no value, numbness, loneliness, hopelessness, worthlessness, despair, no energy, heavy, absence of peace and joy.
LET US MAKE NOTE HOW PEOPLE END UP RUNNING ON EMPTY…
Jeremiah 2:5 Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? 6 Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?
Empty is seldom a sudden issue. Empty is a gradual process: 1. NOT WAITING ON GOD… 2. WALKING AWAY FROM THE CHURCH AND GOD. 3. WE DON’T FILL UP. 4. WE CHASE RAINBOWS AND WALK IN VANITY --- EMPTY.
EMPTY, VALLEY OF DRY BONES… MORE THAN DRY… VERY DRY… FEEBLE… SPEAK THE WORD…
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, b2 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. b3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. b4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
It is so easy to fall into a pattern where we are experiencing a feeling that might be described as Spiritual Dryness. The heavens seem like brass and the earth iron… Do we ever feel God’s presence is so far away? Have we ever walked through a season of NO SPIRITUAL GROWTH? Maybe we have grown but it is minimal growth with little fruit? This spiritual dryness gives us a feeling of being depressed, sad, feeling EMPTY, DEPLETED? This spiritual emptiness can produce fear. Maybe even VANITY? Uselessness? Non-productive? In this season we can grow weary, tired. There is physical tiredness! But there is something much worse than that: SPIRITUAL TIREDNESS. This can produce seasons of no joy, no peace and little to no hope.
LORD SHOW US THE EMPTY, VOID PLACES IN OUR HEART. DO WE ACCEPT THE PROMISES AND ASK JESUS TO FILL OUR CUPS TO FULL AND RUNNING OVER? WE MUST LEARN TO WAIT…
BROKEN CISTERNS? --- WE LOSE OUR FAITHFULNESS AND THE CISTERN LEAKS AND HOLDS NO WATER… WE MADE A CHOICE?
Jeremiah 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Psalm 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
DRY? TIREDNESS, WEARINESS, WORRY AND EMPTINESS ARE RESULTS OF FAILING TO STOP AND FILL UP YOUR TANK.
Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
WE FISHED ALL NIGHT --- WE ARE TIRED AND EMPTY. WE HAVE TAKEN NOTHING…
Luke 5:4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
2 Thessalonians 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
2 Thessalonians 3:13 (NLT2) As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
CONCLUSION: EVERY LIVING PERSON WILL WALK THROUGH VALLEYS OF VERY DRY BONES. The battle is to avoid dry, tired, weary and empty seasons. We have a STANDING INVITATION… RSVP… LET GOD KNOW. GOD HAS A PLAN AND A PURPOSE. Guard your heart and your emotions to stay full of God and avoid times of dryness, tiredness, weariness and emptiness.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 55:22 (MSG) Pile your troubles on GOD's shoulders— he'll carry your load, he'll help you out. He'll never let good people topple into ruin.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
