Drought in the winter? It’s a common topic in my home state, but a drought of the spirit can occur anytime, anywhere. 

2MefromHim Devotional

Drought of Living Water

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:8

 

People in the southwest area of our country are afraid of two things, drought and fire. Likewise, two things fascinate us beyond description, moisture from the sky in any form, and green, growing things that are not tumbleweeds, sagebrush, or cactus. The mountainous area where I live has been hit very hard by drought. When I drive into the city, I notice the dead trees covering the hillsides. My husband banned me from saying how sad all they look, but they do.

This summer brought record rainfall which turned things greener than they have been in a while. However, even trees that managed to cling to life have dead branches that will never come back. Their dry, gray twigs stand out against the blue of the sky, barren and naked. On a recent trip to Ouray, Colorado we discovered almost half of the trees surrounding the high mountain town are brown and dead.

I have had a rough year, physically. This summer may be the worst I have ever experienced. The demands of being a newly published author, and time-consuming, often painful visits with doctors and therapists, made me feel like some of those trees. I had nothing left to give.

When I began preparing for the Bible study I lead during the school year, I felt barren, like those dead branches. Talking with my co-leader pointed out some things I had been blind to. I was trying to do things on my own. When I sat down for my quiet time the following morning, I realized I was experiencing a drought of the spirit.

I spent time with the Lord every morning, but pain and fatigue often convinced me to have my prayer time in bed where I fell back to sleep rather than sitting up, alert and listening for what God wanted to say to me. The rest I thought I needed made me dull and unable to hear God’s voice. I prayed through my list of needs, but failed to hear God’s viewpoint.

When I don’t listen to God, my spirit is cut off from His springs of living water. I become sad, and vulnerable to the fires of discontent and frustration, neither can I grow properly. To remain healthy, I must  remain close to the source of living water, Jesus Christ.

© Copyright by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, September 1, 2014

About the author: 

Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, set in Scotland and New Mexico released in April 2014. She is a former Bible Study Fellowship discussion leader who established the first weekly women’s Bible studies in her church in 2003 and continues to lead a weekly small group. Her devotionals, poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. She is a former RN and homeschool/soccer mom who loves family research, history, and Scotland. Norma lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 38 years. They have two adult children.

 

Contact Norma:

www.normagail.org

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNormaGail

https://plus.google.com/b/102717101441594679714/+Normagail/about/p/pub

http://pinterest.com/normagailth/boards/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874459.Norma_Gail

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/norma-gail-thurston-holtman/42/71a/3b2

https://twitter.com/Norma_Gail

Book links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Land-My-Dreams-Norma-Gail/dp/1941103170/ or 

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/land-of-my-dreams-norma-gail/1119606864 ?ean=9781941103173