Popular Post Gideon Posted July 4, 2018 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 14 Topic Count: 79 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,177 Content Per Day: 0.31 Reputation: 826 Days Won: 1 Joined: 10/04/2013 Status: Offline Popular Post Share Posted July 4, 2018 (edited) When Elijah withstood the 40 sorcerers and challenged them to a “God duel”, it was perhaps one of the greatest moments in his ministry. But shortly thereafter, we find the same man cowering in a cave, hiding and fearing for his life. He had gone from mountaintop experience to a time of darkness and dryness in a heartbeat. We too can have moments of great joy and closeness with our God, thinking that we will never doubt again. Everything is so real, so wonderful, and our closeness with God is almost palpable. And then it hits us, a dry wasteland where God seems a million miles away and the joy of our salvation with it. We all have them. Dry times. How do we cope with such a thing? First of all, we must realize that the dullness we feel may have been induced by the enemy, or perhaps we slipped backwards into sin, but ultimately, God purposes that even the dry times in our walks with Him will cause us to grow in the faith. In my studies in agriculture, there was an interesting term used when dealing with wounds on horses. If a large wound was opened up, each side of the wound would begin to harden over before bonding to the other side of the wound. In order for the healing bond to be insured, one would have to cut away the hardened outer layers and then bind them together with stitches or the like. Do you know what that hardened layer was called? Proud flesh. I am not sure where that term had it’s origin, but boy, how appropriate. LOL. Do you remember Romans where we are told that we have been grafted into the vine? And when that happens, we begin to grow. ‘Wonderful! No stopping me now!’ But what do we see the husbandman do? Once fruiting began, he would then prune the vine back. What? It almost does not make sense to our logic, does it? Why would He do such a thing? To hurt us? Of course not. He prunes us back so that we bear MORE fruit! If we are saved, we have had an amazing thing happen to us. Along with the relief that our sins have been washed away came amazing feelings of joy and closeness. But if we depend on these feelings, we give Satan great opportunity, amen? He is not just after our sinning, he is trying to uproot our faith in our God completely. Why? Because faith is what God longs to cultivate in us. Yes, we are to believe that our sins are forgiven, but God does not want us to stop there. We are told that we are each called to fight our good fight of faith, we must grow in our faith, to the ultimate end that we become established in the faith, whereby we walk in victory over the world, the flesh and the devil... all by faith! Faith that pleases God does not vary whether we are abased or whether we abound. And that lesson to bring us to that point is exactly what you and I have been enduring. We are being pressed in by our dry times to dig deeper, to have our trust in our God become even stronger. Let us all realize that it is God who is now in control. And when we finally see that we are not called to be the potter but the clay, and entrust our walks to God as the master potter to make us overcomers, even our dry times can be endured with joy. Do not despair if you have slipped into sin. Weak faith can allow a momentary slip. Thank God we can repent, and Satan knows that, despite our fall, nothing has changed. We are still dead and our lives are hid in Christ. But Satan is devious and relentless. Trust me, I know first hand. Even after we turn back to God, satan will try his best to clouds our faith. What was once so clear and powerful, full of joy in our walks with God, now seem light years away. The truths He has opened up to us seem more like just words, and our heads may still acknowledge them but our hearts? They are a different story. Our prayers, once a delight, seem totally one sided, don’t they? Listen. Satan is after our faith.... our trust in what God has plainly stated. We have been made new creatures. The old us is passed away. Trying to do better is the same as beating a dead horse. God WILL cause us to walk in full obedience to Him if we simply continue to trust Him to do so, So with that clear in our minds, what shall our response be in our dry times? To grovel before the Lord, begging Him to give us our feelings back? Nope. We walk by faith, not by feelings, or by sight. Is it to determine to try harder next time? We will do better so that whatever caused the dryness is not repeated LOL, we both know how that one would turn out, right? What does the Word say? “Having done all to stand, stand therefore” Think for a minute. When the Israelites finally escaped the wilderness after 40 years of wandering, and crossed over the river Jordan, and began, by faith, to take the land of Promise, did they ever once return back to the wilderness? Not once. Even after the humiliating defeat at little Ai, with once sure and unswerving Joshua melting with fear and doubt, turning back was not an option. What did God tell Him? in so many words, “Get up, dust yourself off, stop whining and expose what needs to be exposed. Sin? Confess it. Doubt? Cast it off. Simply a pruning by the husbandman to bring forth MORE fruit? It matters not. Whatever the lesson God has for us, ultimately, God will always tell us, “Upon your feet!. Believe again!” Trust me, a man who has humbled himself and given his heart to the Lord, longing to walk pleasing to the King, will stand again, no matter the severity of the fall or the valley he is enduring. Why? Because God now owns us and has us, safe in His arms, and everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, even those things Satan hope will destroy us, will be used for our good. Hold steady, my dear friends, and faint not. God has big plans for us, but wants us unshakeable in good times and bad. No matter what you are enduring, or why it has come about, God is there for you, working it all for your good. The joy of your salvation may be hidden to you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness and consolation will He draw you back to Himself. And remember as well, these times we are sometimes enduring are so that when you are conversing with another about abiding in the vine, we May be able to strengthen their hands that hang down, for we have seen that the God of all comfort is faithful who has promised, and be axie we ourselves have been consoled, you also will be able to console others. There is no loss in God. Everything can be made to become our good. Everything. All He asks is that we trust Him to do as He has promised. Blessings, me Edited July 4, 2018 by Gideon 3 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debp Posted July 5, 2018 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 52 Topic Count: 1,017 Topics Per Day: 0.15 Content Count: 12,293 Content Per Day: 1.79 Reputation: 16,356 Days Won: 92 Joined: 07/19/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted July 5, 2018 Very encouraging words, I hope more people will read this! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidei Defensor Posted July 22, 2018 Group: Royal Member Followers: 18 Topic Count: 165 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 3,997 Content Per Day: 1.57 Reputation: 2,607 Days Won: 15 Joined: 04/29/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted July 22, 2018 Dry: Divine Resting You. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael37 Posted July 22, 2018 Group: Servant Followers: 21 Topic Count: 241 Topics Per Day: 0.11 Content Count: 6,923 Content Per Day: 3.27 Reputation: 4,857 Days Won: 2 Joined: 07/05/2018 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/23/1954 Share Posted July 22, 2018 6 minutes ago, Fidei Defensor said: Dry: Divine Resting You. ABC = Adversity Builds Character. (+ Always Be Charitable). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Mission Posted July 22, 2018 Group: Members Followers: 5 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 33 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 30 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/21/2018 Status: Offline Share Posted July 22, 2018 Good topic.. I went through "dry times" on my journey. Time of "refreshing / renewal" comes after dry time. Blessings, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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