Drought Warning
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”- Jeremiah 17:7-8
First, it was a change to our trash services; then it was the increase in gas prices; and now our outdoor water usage is down to once a week. How much more can us Californians take! All kidding aside, the statewide drought is creating some dramatic challenges.
A weekly watering schedule will impact lawns, plants, and trees in people’s yards. What should be green will turn brown; what should be refreshed will be depleted; what should be nourished for growth will be in danger of drying our and dying altogether.
The new water rations have me thinking about how crucial it is to not allow our hearts to reach drought levels. Jesus offers us an invitation to have a continual flow of living water. In John 7:37-38 He proclaims, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within him.” His resource never runs out and is meant to be running within us! God is able to refresh and replenish the areas of our life that are reaching low places of peace, encouragement, and hope. Psalm 46:4 says, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.”
Doing most areas of life just once a week does not cut it! Our jobs would be in jeopardy; our school grades would plummet; our marriage would be distanced; our kids would suffer; our sleep would be deprived; our bodies would waste away from lack of food. Just like watering the lawn once a week will not produce the type of GREEN GROWTH we are looking for, limiting our relationship with Jesus to a weekly church service will dry out our FAITH LIFE! We are not meant to be in drought with God. We can enjoy the enriching of daily times in prayer, reading the Bible, and being in fellowship with others. There is abounding, satisfying life in Jesus today, tomorrow, and always. In John 6:35 He says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.”
God is the Master “green thumb” producing beautiful life and growth in you!