Finding Rivers of Living Water in Your Season of Drought

Seasons of drought are those times in your life when your faith feels like it is at its weakest, when everything around you seems to be falling apart and you’re straining to perceive the Lord at work in your situation, but cannot see anything. Everyone experiences these trials and some are part of the natural ebb and flow of life, while other drought seasons are thrust upon you by others, while some are ushered in by our own mistakes and choices. But it doesn’t matter– you still need rivers of living water in your life because a drought season is a time of spiritual exhaustion, a sense of isolation from the Lord’s presence, a vulnerable time when your faith is tested, stressed or under attack from the enemy- and you cannot let yourself shrivel up and die. Jesus said there would be rivers of living water for you- and it’s time to take Him up on that promise!

When Jesus spoke of “rivers of living water“, He was speaking about the power of His Holy Spirit who would come as a Comforter, Advocate and Friend and who would “guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own authority. But He will speak whatever He hears, and He will tell you things that are to come,” (John 16:13 MEV) and “will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” (John 14:26 MEV) One of the outcomes of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Whom you received at the moment of your salvation, is that you possess a Life inside of you- apart from your own spirit- that is unmoved and unafraid by anything life may bring and when you feel exhausted and dry and have nothing left to give, the Holy Spirit will produce rivers of living water from within you that will sustain you through the wilderness.

The Holy Spirit is the Source of the Rivers of Life- Not You

You don’t need to do any of the work to keep the rivers of living water flowing. In fact, you need to rest- in the Lord. Stop exhausting yourself trying to keep your head above water. Draw near to the Lord, invite Him day by day, moment by moment if necessary, to restore to you the joy of your salvation. If you’re going to survive the drought of the wilderness, you must hide yourself in His presence through praise and worship. Remember, what whatever is within you will come out of you, (Prov. 23:7) so you must intentionally plant the Word of God in your heart so that is what your mouth speaks.

Worship must be your daily point of connection with the Lord because “in His presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11) and “the joy of the Lord is your strength”. (Neh. 8:10) “Pray without ceasing,”(1 Thess. 5:7) because “the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, for we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Rom. 8:26) The origin of the rivers of life within you are “not by might, nor by power”, (Zech. 4:6) but are through the Holy Spirit within you.

“…you possess a Life inside of you that is unmoved and unafraid by anything life may bring and when you feel exhausted and dry and have nothing left to give, the Holy Spirit will produce rivers of living water from within you that will sustain you through the wilderness.”
~Alicia Purdy

The book of Job is filled with the pain and lamentations that reflect many of the trials every believer experiences and his despair at the drought of his soul overwhelmed him at times. But, he said, “There is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender shoots will not cease. Though its root may grow old in the earth, and its stump may die in the ground, yet at just the scent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant.” (Job 14:7-9) The Holy Spirit within you is responsible for producing rivers of living water- not you. You stay hidden Him, and He will be faithful to you and “at just the scent of water” of the Holy Spirit, your spirit will spring to life, bud, produce and LIVE- even in the wilderness.

Thought for today: Rivers of Living Water Bring Life to All

Psalm 1:3-4 says that when your delight is in the law of the Lord, and when you meditate on the Word of God day and night, you will be “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; its leaf will not wither, and whatever he does will prosper.” You are not the rivers of living water – the Holy Spirit is! You are the TREE. You are created and called by God to bring forth fruit that will feed others in the Kingdom of God and in the world. When you draw near to the Lord, HE will sustain you, and the natural outflow of that intimacy will be rivers of living water that will revive your spirit, keep you vibrant and strong for battle and inspire others who see your example.

If you are dry inside your spirit or walking through the wilderness, the Lord has a plan! He sustained His Son Jesus in the wilderness, through temptation, hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and spiritual battle- He will do the same for you! The real “work” is resting in His presence. The real battle is waged from your knees. His mercies are new every morning, even if they’re hard to see- they’re there! Remember, this is a season, not a state of being. The fastest way out of the desert is to let the Holy Spirit lead you on His path.

Find Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow!

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