What Do You Do in a Dry Season?

Ever experienced a long season without answers? Maybe without feeling like you are growing spiritually? Maybe a longtime unanswered prayer? Perhaps you wonder if God is even listening?

If you follow this blog often, you, no doubt, are aware that I love the beach. You also may have read my other “beach lessons” posts (check that category if not). And you probably know one of my favorite things to do at the beach is hunt seashells.  But the last couple of years have had very little yield. Today as I walked Johnson Beach looking, again I came away empty.

As I write this, I have two friends in very treacherous health situations.  One very close friend has dealt with her cancer for about 12-15 years and has received so many miracles along the way. She has also almost died more than once. Another friend is a sweet young mom of 4 in my church. She has been in her battle for just a few years. Both need immediate miracles. I know they are both dealing with an extremely tough season right now. I know both are praying…I wonder if they feel like they aren’t being heard?

But I know they are both strong women of faith and that they will continue to cry out to Him and trust Him. They will conitnue coming back to Him over and over whether they hear what they’d like to hear from Him or not.

Will I go back and hunt again for shells even though I’ve not come away with any lately? Or will I stop trying? As I walked the beach today, I thought about these two friends and prayed for both. I prayed that if they wonder if God hears their requests, that they’d be assured once again of His presence and feel His arms around them. That they would hold tight to what they know of Him…He is good, He is faithful, He is present, He is compassionate, He is sovereign, He will draw them closer in this season.

So, yes, I will go back to look again…because I have a history of coming home with buckets full of shells. Even though I only found one measly shell today, I know there are more there. And as I go through my next dry season spiritually, I will keep coming back to the One I know is always there, always listening, always working out His purpose in my life. (Photo by leonides ruvalcabar on Unsplash)

When I put down the Bible after reading it and feel like I haven’t really “gotten” anything, I will keep coming back till I hear Him speak because it’s not that He’s not speaking, it’s that I am not hearing. Or it’s that I do not like what He is saying!

I have discovered long ago that He teaches me most in my waiting times, in my desperate times and in my dry times.

What about you? Do you give up when you don’t hear from Him as quickly or or in the way you want to hear from Him? Or will you keep asking Him, trusting Him and reading His Word?

Claim Psalm 18:2 , “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Keep going back. He hasn’t moved and His Word is still true. Remember what He has done in the past and trust Him enough to keep crying out to Him as you trust Him with today and tomorrow.

Banner photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash