Seasons of drought and parched souls ∙

Seasons of drought and parched souls ∙

When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law – Galatians 4:4

Isaiah 35:3-10

 3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands and encourage those who have weak knees.

 4 Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”

 5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf.

 6 The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland.

 7 The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived.

 10 Those who the LORD has ransomed will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.

Most of us have seen seasonal cycles of growth. In the Fall, vegetation enters a dormant stage and prepares for cold weather. In the Spring, warmth and rain bring forth new life. Sometimes “seasons” can be irregular. There are untold numbers of wildflower seeds buried beneath the sand of the Mojave Desert. Under the right conditions and at the right time, an abundance of wildflowers burst forth and covered the ground with vibrant, beautiful colors.

The dry desert must be soaked by abundant rain and warmed by the sun at just the correct times to bloom with great beauty hidden seemingly dead beneath the sands. Otherwise, the desert is just a desert.

So it is with us. Often our lives are parched, seemingly without end. During such difficult times, many of us have grave doubts regarding the love and involvement of our heavenly Father in our lives. When we get pushed against the wall, our doubts become so great that we might even doubt the truth of our faith.

But we forget that the Father created both the seasons and the unseen seeds of life. He also controls the timing of the events of our lives.

The Father created time and put humanity in it to experience sequence and change. For the Father, everything is always now, and He sees the end from the beginning.

REFLECT & PRAY

As I review my life, I see both parched times and times of growth and beauty. I also realize that I control neither.

Father I acknowledge that You are in control and sovereign. You have appointed a time for everything under heaven. Encourage me to stand firm in times of drought and doubt.

INSIGHT

Sometimes we do not understand what’s happening, and it makes no sense to us. The unseen hand of our loving Father has been at work all the time. And suddenly, we find ourselves in the right place at the right time. What happens next is truly incredible.

The Father has given us His Word to provide truth and encouragement during difficult times. The Father made promises. There is a time coming when the Father will make all things right. Without a doubt, the Old Testament predicted the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ at precisely the right time of the Father’s choosing. Several specific miracles were prophesied.

Isaiah 35:4-6

 4 Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”

 5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf.

 6 The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland..

These are specific miracles that the Lord Jesus Christ performed during His life on earth. They were part of the validation of His identity. Even the great forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist, had grave doubts when he was imprisoned and facing death. The world that John had known had come to an end. He began to wonder if the Lord Jesus Christ was indeed the Messiah. Recall who John the Baptist was and his miraculous confirmation regarding Christ’s identity.

Matthew 11:11 I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!

Luke 3:21-22

 21 One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened,

 22 and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

Yet even John the Baptist, the extraordinary herald of the Lord Jesus Christ, questioned and had moments of doubt.

The answer to John’s questions and doubts was swift and precise. The promises of the Father regarding Jesus had been and were being fulfilled.

Matthew 11:2-5

 2 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus,

 3 “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

 4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen–

 5 the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.

Matthew 16:15-17

 15 “But who do you say that I am?”

 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

 17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.”

Can we trust the Father through life’s seasons of drought and drenching storms? The answer, of course, is a resounding yes! There is a time when even the most parched souls bloom! The Father never makes a promise that He does not keep.

Romans 11:29 The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 7-19-2

© Dr. H 2022