Have you been outside? To get vegetables? Do a flower check? Look at the lawn? It’s beginning to look ominous. The grass is a little crunchy under the feet. Flowers and vegetable gardens look stressed. Some corn fields appear lifeless, their wide leaves reaching to the sky and shriveling up, almost as if they are begging the rain to fall. It hurts to see the vegetation struggle. 

Rain… water… so essential for life. Without rain, there would be no life. I have to admit that lately, with all the storms and flooding, I get slightly anxious when we get those weather alerts. Water can kill and destroy as easily as it sustains life. The power that a large, rapidly moving body of water sustains is amazing. We have seen whole towns wash away and so many lives lost or destroyed. Yet, we need water. We need refreshing.

Dry times can feel as frightening as a torrent of water. Watching a garden or a whole field slowly die is daunting.  There is financial loss and the possible loss of food to sustain a family. We are powerless to bring rain and end the dry spell. Yet, I believe that dry spells can teach us so much.

Consider this:

There will always be seasons of rain and seasons of drought.

We can prepare for a drought. We can put back what we need to sustain us through that drought.

There is nothing within our power that will end a drought.

It is so dry and hot, we have no desire to be outside.

There is a sense of oppressiveness. The heat seems to push down on us.

Possibly, maybe even probably, we will experience some kind of loss.

We begin to think this is our new “normal”. It is not.

We fear Abba God has deserted us.

Our God is with us. He reveals to us that He is walking through this dry time with us. He has many things to teach us during this dry season. One of the most important is that He provides during the dry time. He gives us food and water and spiritual comfort. 

When the Israelites left Egypt and were in the desert, our Father desired to give them what they needed…to protect them…draw them to Himself. Instead, they whined and complained. They were rebellious. They missed the opportunity Abba God presented to them…to know Him in an intimate way. To be betrothed to Him as His people. He took them to the desert, a dry place, in order to accomplish this.

So as this dry time continues, don’t become fearful. Don’t become discouraged, wondering when it will end. Draw near to Abba God. Dry seasons, physical or spiritual, are not forever. Unpleasant, yes. Yet, He does have a purpose for the dry season.

Don’t fear the dry season. He is sending rain in due season.