5 Important Things To Do When You Feel Spiritually Dry

Feeling spiritually dry can be discouraging, but God uses these seasons to draw you closer and grow your faith in deeper ways.

On a study trip to Israel, I learned many things. And even after all these years, a few of those lessons have stayed with me in a very personal way. This is one of them.

Have you ever been on a four-bottle walk?

I hadn’t either, until that trip.

Our teacher would take us on what she called “wee little walks” all across Israel, from the northern regions all the way down into the Negev. There was nothing wee or little about them. They were long, hot, and often very hard. Our group of eager students would know just how torturous and treacherous the walk would be by the number of large water bottles we were required to carry and finish before returning to our bus.

The Four-Bottle Walk

You might wonder what a four-bottle walk has to do with being spiritually stuck in a dry place. Well, more than you might think!

Our walks were fascinating and educational as we trekked in and around places I had only ever read about in my Bible. Walking on holy ground, so to speak. But they were also unbearably hot and demanding and not for the faint of heart. In fact, after a long, totally fascinating, and exhausting day, I would sometimes step into the shower fully dressed, just so I could peel off my clothes and wash them all in one step!

It did not take me long to figure out just what kind of walk was ahead of us by the number of water bottles we were asked to carry.

How Hot Was It?

My sister-in-law, Susan, and I also got creative about staying cool. Our hotel rooms usually had small refrigerators, and we would freeze wet washcloths and extra water bottles for the day ahead. That meant we could drape the frozen washcloths around our necks or tuck them under our hats to stay cool, at least for a little while. We also tucked frozen water bottles down the front of our bras to keep our core temperature down. Yes, necessity really is the mother of invention!

Despite the heat, it was a life-changing trip. We were learning the most incredible truths as we visited biblical and historical sites, even while wearing washcloths on our heads and carrying frozen water bottles in very inconspicuous places!

Walking through the dry, rocky places of the Holy Land in the heat of summer taught me a great deal about being stuck in a spiritually dry place, how to persevere through those times, and how to come out the other side victorious.

Drink Lots Of Living Water

Water was, and still is, a precious commodity in Israel, especially in the summer. Taking even a short walk without it could be life-threatening.

WATER = LIFE.

That equation is just as true in a spiritual sense.

When we find ourselves stuck in a spiritually dry place, we need a constant supply of Living Water. We need to stay connected to the Giver of Life and be refreshed and sustained by His presence.

In other words, we need to stay close to God and His Word. These are the times to press in hard to the Holy Spirit and ask Him for understanding, comfort, and the nearness of God.

Staying rooted in His Word is life for a dry and thirsty soul.

Listen To The Teacher

When we were traveling narrow mountain roads and standing on the edges of high precipices to take in sweeping views of the Sea of Galilee or the Valley of Megiddo, it was absolutely essential that we listen to and follow our teacher closely. Getting off the path could be deadly.

One morning up in the Golan Heights, our teacher warned us not to stray from the path because there were still active minefields all around us. It was a breathtaking and beautiful place, but also a dangerous one. We all stayed very close to her on that particular outing.

In spiritually dry seasons, we need to double our efforts to listen to Jesus. Follow Him closely and stay anchored in His Word. Dry times are not only times of testing but of temptation, too.

Wandering off the path God has laid out for us in His Word can be spiritually dangerous. Stay close to Jesus. Don’t stray.

Things Are Easier In Numbers

The support from our Israel study group helped each of us at one point or another.

I remember one time in particular. We were climbing a very steep path, and some of the stronger young men in our group formed a human chain that the rest of us used as a railing to keep from slipping as we made our way up to the next level of terrain.

Hard times are easier when we have others to support us, pray for us, and walk alongside us through the dry, desert, and tough terrain of life.

We were not made to walk alone. Being part of a church family and a small group matters more than we sometimes realize. In those dry times, your Christian friends, your family, and your church community are there to help you get safely through them.

Keep Your Head Up

Many of our walks in Israel took us over very tough terrain.

Even when we had to be careful where we stepped, we kept our heads up and took in all the wonders around us.

If we had only looked at our feet as we walked through those craggy, dry places, we would have missed waterfalls spilling down from the mountains and lush green ribbons of ground where a small brook threaded through the rocky landscape. We would not have noticed the local wildlife or the layers of flint striped across the cliff faces like someone had drawn a bold line with a pencil. We even saw flowers and plants thriving in the harshest conditions, and their beauty was striking.

We took the time to look up and see God in His creation.

In spiritually dry and difficult times, keep your head up. Watch for the ways God is showing Himself to you. Look for the miracles He weaves into your life, even in the dry places.

Know That Victory Lies Ahead

Even though many of our treks in Israel were hard, hot, and uncomfortable, they always ended in the most profound and life-changing ways. I learned so much, and my heart was deeply impacted.

I grew in big ways spiritually. And because I spent time in those dry places of Israel, I am able to share all of this with you today.

Spiritually dry places lead to victory. When we walk through them, clinging to Jesus and pressing on in faith, we are almost always elevated to a higher understanding, grow in our maturity, and enter into a more intimate relationship with the Lord.

Our Christian life was never guaranteed to be easy. In fact, Jesus tells us just the opposite. But He also tells us that He will be with us and will never leave us.

We will all take spiritual “wee little walks” through dry places during our time on this earth. Because it really is a four-bottle life.

This scripture might help you this week…

THOSE WHO KNOW YOUR NAME TRUST IN YOU, FOR YOU, LORD, HAVE NEVER FORSAKEN THOSE WHO SEEK YOU. Psalm 9:10

Happy Sunday, friends…