Have you ever seen dry ground? Like, really dry ground?
Last year I had the opportunity to drive through Nevada, Southern California, and Arizona. While I did find the surroundings beautiful, I definitely would not want to try farming out there. The ground could have all the right nutrients that it needs for vegetation but without water, few plants of value can grow. All living things need water to live. I remember how I used to take inventory of my walk with God periodically. I would get really discouraged because I rarely saw fruit. Even though I wanted to look like Jesus, I felt stuck in a cycle of looking like, well, dry ground. I felt that if I didn’t see anything changing in my character and conduct, something was wrong with my relationship with God. I wasn’t wrong.
I didn’t know it at the time, but I just needed Holy Spirit.
I don’t care how much you plow the soil of your heart or how much time you spend planting seeds, if you don’t have a consistent source of water nothing will grow. Maybe a few weeds or bramble bushes will grow but certainly not the luscious fruit that you were created to produce. If your heart looks like dry ground today, let me share with you what you need to flow through your fields.
Isaiah 44:2b-3 in the Passion Translation says, “Hear what I have to say to you: ‘Don’t fear. I will help you, O Jacob my servant, do not fear, my pleasing one, Israel. I will pour refreshing water on the thirsty and streams on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your children, my blessing upon your descendants.’ ” Come on! Isn’t that amazing news?
According to these verses, God shows us that not only does he want to change the season for those feeling dry but also that the water you need is His Spirit.
An active and intimate relationship with Holy Spirit is what makes the difference between a life of unsatisfactory toil and a life of vibrant excitement. If you have been feeling dry, I believe you need to begin cultivating a relationship with the Third Person of the the Trinity. This might sound basic to some of you and blasphemous to others. Regardless, let me tell you three ways you can invite the waters of refreshing into your life right now through understanding and relating to Holy Spirit.
First, give him a personal invitation to invade every area of your life. Just a few nights ago I asked him to come in and touch anything in me that I had not surrendered to him. That included past memories and wounds as well as current things I am working through. I tell him regularly that I trust him and love him and that he can do anything in and through my life that He wants to. From what I’ve seen, Holy Spirit responds to humble hearts that open themselves to his power without any conditions or secrets. Remember, he is a person just like the Father and Jesus. He is the one that Jesus said would lead us into all truth, bring comfort and conviction, and give us power! Learning to interact with him and use the gifts he has given me has led to a massive increase of fruit in my life.
Secondly, you need to have conversations with him. Even though most, if not all, Christians believe that Holy Spirit lives within them, few realize that he wants to communicate with them every day. I talk to Holy Spirit, I write letters to him, and I listen for what he wants to say to me. Of course he speaks through the Bible but did you know that he can also speak to you through nature, other people, songs, physical feelings, in your thoughts, and more? It’s delightful to begin hearing his strong yet gentle voice in these ways. And I will say, even though I sometimes have difficulty knowing the difference between my own thoughts and his, the more I listen and act upon what I hear–if it is consistent with the written Word of God–the more confident I am in knowing that he speaks to me.
Thirdly and finally, it’s going to be really difficult to do the two things I already mentioned without having a community around you that is pursuing Holy Spirit. A community could be a church, a prayer group, or just one or two close friends. The Apostle Paul constantly shared God’s heart for his children to seek and discover him together. You can do it! If you are tired of feeling dry and you are not regularly engaging with people who are saturated in the Presence of God, don’t be afraid to find them. It’s incredibly important and it has changed my life.
I pray that you will check your heart! Dry seasons aren’t from God and he wants to bring you into a place of wholeness and fruitfulness. May he bless you and show you ways that you can develop a relationship with Holy Spirit.
Much love,
Tim Ornelas
Written by Tim Ornelas. I’m a life-long son to my heavenly Father and my earthly family. I love to share my process with you so that you will feel empowered and encouraged to do the same. I enjoy reading, writing, preaching, and praying for the sick both in the church and on the streets. My greatest desire is for Jesus to become known by every soul.
Recent Comments