Drought of the Soul

Drought of the Soul

They are like clouds without rain…

Jude 12

I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona – a city of blazing sunshine and precious little rain.  Located in the Sonoran Desert, Phoenix gets, on average, about 8 inches of rain per year.  I don’t remember anyone ever telling us that we could not water our grass, or fill our kiddie pool, or spend hours on the Slip-n-Slide.  Water restrictions were not a part of my childhood there.

Now I live in Virginia – a verdant land rather than desert sand.  The average rainfall in my area is 43 inches – over five times that of Phoenix.  In my first few years living here, however, water restrictions in the summer were a way of life.  It reminded me of Israel in the time of Ahab and Jezebel, where no rain fell for over three years.  How did the people survive?  They believed that their god Baal provided the rain.  After more than three years of drought, you’d think they would begin to wonder about that.

The human heart can also experience drought – a barrenness of the soul that shrivels the spirit.  Without hope, we begin to wither inside.  The writer of Hebrews tells us, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…”  [Hebrews 6:19].  That anchor is the love of Christ who died for us, rose for us, and lives for us.  He is a constant Companion, a source of hope in the midst of hopelessness.  He invites us to come to Him and “…take the water of life freely” [Revelation 22:17].

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Fill my cup, Lord.  I lift it up, Lord.

Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.

Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more.

Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 641