Jesus shares the beauty behind believing Him. John 7:37-38 says, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to Me! Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from His heart.'” Verse 39 continues to clarify that living water represents the Holy Spirit. He is given to anyone who believes in Jesus.
A believer’s life is satisfied and content when Jesus has filled their heart.
Some days (or seasons), your faith is strong and alive while other times it’s dry and boring. The times when your feel like your river runs dry and God becomes a chore are times when you have allowed something to get in the way. So, how does a heart dry up?
Here are a few ways that I personally experience dryness that causes my heart to lose its luster for the Lord: I forget to be thankful. I take my eyes off of Christ and dwell on anything and everything else. I focus on what I don’t have rather than what God has given me. I forget that God is with me. I go into solo-mode and handle life my way.
The flesh of every man loves his independence.
There are times when life doesn’t go as I planned. God didn’t answer my prayers like I wanted. These moments cause me to hide and ignore God. I become less interested in Jesus, and the living water in my heart ceases to flow. Disappointments, unmet expectations, closed doors to opportunities where I thought God was leading me dries up the Spirit flowing in my heart.
Anger, jealousy, bitterness, selfishness, pride, gluttony, just naming a few, will dry up a heart. Whenever you focus on you more than Jesus, your faith shrivels.
I have the most wonderful news! If you are willing to recognize that you have turned your back on God, and you have shoved Jesus off the throne in your heart so you can be in control, God will help you. He is in the restoration business, you know. He would love to restore the flow of the Holy Spirit within your tired, boring, dried-up heart.
Begin with a tough word that no one likes, but it’s necessary. It is repent. You must humble yourself and call out the truth of your sins. You turned your back on God and have been doing life on your own. Jesus cannot flow freely in a heart that loves (fill in the blank) more than Him. It could be person, place, or thing or all of them. Once you get straight with God you can move forward with all the hope that heaven gives, by recognizing His presence. Begin to see God in every part of your life once again.
Become thankful is the next step. As you walk the dog, thank God for His creation. As you wash dishes, thank God for His provision. As you drive to work, thank God for opportunities to show others who God is through your actions. Whatever you do, thank God.
Don’t wait for God to refresh you. Even in the dryness, ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Eventually He will. Until then, keep asking for Him. Even if you have to ask 20 times today, ask God to reveal Himself in new ways. “Lord, reveal yourself to me.” Look for Him and He will show Himself to you. I promise you. He has never let me down.
Take a few minutes and play Lauren Daigle’s song, “Come Alive (Dry Bones).” Here’s a few of the lyrics, “As we call out to dry bones come alive, come alive. We call call out to dead hearts come alive, come alive. Up out of the ashes let us see an army rise. We call out to dry bones, come alive. God of endless mercy. God of unrelenting love. Rescue every daughter. Bring us back the wayward son. And by Your Spirit breathe upon them, show the world that You alone can save. You alone can save.”
Jesus’ rivers of living water will flow once again if you turn your eyes onto Jesus. Hmmm, another good song 🙂 Come back alive my friend and let Jesus fill you once again.
Carol J German 