Journeying from Dry to Fertile PlacesWednesday, November 1, 2023

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

Last month, Vessels of Comfort Ministries held a ZOOM session that focused on reconnecting with God. The impetus for this meeting included the isolation, losses, and difficulties we’ve all experienced over the last few years that have left many of us feeling separated from God.

Dr. Margo Williams shared that during spiritual decline, we are vulnerable to the enemy’s vices. Our spiritual lives can become dull and dry. We lose our zeal and devotion to the Lord. Our prayer seems cold, distant, repetitious and without answers. We may have little or no interest in studying the Word. There is little desire to speak the truth of God’s Word and progressive compromise. We don’t enjoy the fellowship with the saints in the same way as before. We become concerned with selfishness, and we’re inconsistent. In a crisis, Dr. Williams said, we can question everything we regarded as truth – feeling like we can no longer trust God or follow Christ. Sometimes we question whether or not God is real or if He is good. We question why bad things happen.

Dr. Williams used the story of King Solomon as an example for us. (1 Kings 11) In verses 1-8, there was a disregard for the Word of God. In verses 9-13, we see a diversion from righteousness leading to displeasure. And in verses 14-40, displeasure from God invites his discipline.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for the practical strategies during that session for dealing with dry places or spiritual decline. Help me to be honest with myself, to turn to you, and to pray. Help me to talk to myself instead of listening to myself. Take me back to my foundational disciplines: fasting, prayer, meditation, and journaling. Help me to reach out to faith-filled sisters and brothers. Help me to wait and watch you work in and through me as I move from the dry to the fertile. In the name of Jesus, I praise you. Amen