If it weren’t for God’s Word, there’s a good chance I’d be somewhere marinating in a gutter of my own making. There’s no doubt if I had to name one thing that’s improved my life more than any other, it’s the study of God’s Word. The Scriptures have spoken truth to the lies in my head, served as the balm to my wounds, and best of all, allowed me to walk with the Author.
“If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.”
When I read the words of Psalm 119:92 I find myself nodding my head and saying, “Yes, me too.”
Although studying the Scriptures is among the most significant joys of my life, it’s not come without seasons of spiritual dryness. I’ve experienced periods of time when I’ve felt as if God has gone missing. During these times of spiritual leanness, the Scriptures seem to go silent, and I wonder if my prayers rise any higher than the ceiling.
Sometimes spiritual dryness is a result of unconfessed sin. Other times it just happens. If I were able, I would go to any length to avoid these rare seasons, but it seems they are inevitable. However, I have stumbled across a handful of things that make these times more tolerable.
- I remind myself I am not the only one to experience God’s silence. There are multiple instances in Scripture when God’s people ceased to hear from Him for a season. In Psalm 10:1 David said, “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” David was a man after God’s own heart, yet he still experienced times when he couldn’t sense God’s presence. David’s inability to hear from God passed, and I remind myself that mine will too.
- I pray before my Bible reading time and ask God to teach me something new in the Scriptures. The writer of Psalm 119 prayed, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law (Psalm 119:8). When we approach the Scriptures with a desire for God to teach us and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Word, our Bible reading will be far more fruitful.
- I rely heavily on the promises of God. Eugene Peterson wrote, “Feelings are great liars.” This is especially true in times of spiritual dryness. Focusing on the promises of God rather than my emotions builds my faith. Isaiah 50:10b says, “Let him who walks in the darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”
- I pray for the season to pass quickly. In Psalm 13:1, David prayed, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” It is wise and appropriate to seek God and ask Him to restore a sense of His presence and the joy of His fellowship.
When I stop sensing God’s presence, my world grows dim. David spoke to this in Psalm 16:1-2, “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
Could it be that seasons of spiritual dryness is what provides this profound clarity?
