Are You Drought Resistant???

In many parts of the world droughts are a regular occurrence. Droughts are an extended period of time without any rain at all. Typically, they occur in arid and semi-arid regions, but can extend into neighbouring regions. Here where I live in Australia, in the summer of 2023/24 (November-March) we had a drought where it did not rain at all for nearly eight months, and at the height of summer we reached temperatures of over 40C (104F+) for weeks on end. It was so severe that even our hardy bushland and forests suffered and large eucalyptus trees started dying off. It was a brutal summer.

Those trees and environments that survived had a source of water - whether it was because their deep roots had tapped into the underground water sources, or they were near seasonal wetlands.

Depending on the temperature - the human body can continue to function without water for around 3-4 days - after that organs begin to malfunction, and all over your body your cells begin to die. Without water…death is a certainty.

Experiencing the physical event of a drought is hard enough. But what is worse is experiencing an extended period of emotional and spiritual drought - where our barrenness saps our strength and our soul begins to break.

So, how much more important is the spiritual water - that ‘Living Water' which only comes from heaven?

If we can’t survive without physical water, how can we assume we can survive without the ‘Living Water’?

Jesus refers to HIMSELF as the living water when HE is talking to the woman at the well in John 4. But that is not the only instance where the concept of the ‘Living Water’ is applied to HIM.

Jesus echoes this concept in John 7:37-38 when HE says… “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

How blessed are these verses?

Here we have a statement by Jesus when HE lets the crowd know that HE is the source of ‘Living Water’. HE points the way to us and to anyone who is lost and thirsting for life and for salvation.

Then Jesus adds more blessing to HIS original statement, when HE notes that the person who believes in HIM will also be a source of life and sustenance to others. It is through us that Jesus provides that for those around us.

Then in Revelation 7:16-17, it brings us hope when it says… “They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

These days are hard, whether you live in a wealthy nation or not. These days are stressful, and fear is being peddled by our politicians, and the media for the global elites.

If we haven’t significantly suffered in our lifetimes then it will surely come. Many of us have spent so many days wearing and crying out to God for help in our circumstances. Not only will Jesus lead us to an abundant source of ‘Living Water’, but our tears, our grief, our pain and anguish will be washed away for ever - it is then that we will finally find our peace - in the presence of Almighty God.

That is a blessed time that we need to keep our eyes on. It is the glorious gift for believing and following Jesus, and enduring our mortal lives here on Earth.

It is in these times that Psalm 23:4 provides us with further encouragement where King David says… “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Finally, one of my most favourite scriptures ever…

Isaiah 41:17-20 “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

These few verses are so packed with heavenly promises and depth of encouragement.

In these verses we see God speaking and HE says ‘I’ five times - this is not insignificant. God is reminding the reader that it is HE who is going to sort out our issues and provide in miraculous ways at a time when our lives are decimated by barrenness and drought. This is a promise and it is a statement that it is only GOD who can do these things - not our own efforts, not our own desires, not following the latest viral preacher, not the famous people of our world, and it is certainly not our political masters and corporations.

Only God can do the miraculous in your life by bringing life, and abundant life to the desert of your heart, mind and spirit.

However, for me one of the single most interesting points (and this is me being a biologist) are the tree species that are listed. All of the types of plants mentioned in these verses are trees, ranging between 3-30m (9-110ft tall) - they all have deep roots and require enormous amounts of water to survive. So, by listing these plants God is saying to us “I will make you strong, I will make you grow, and I will provide all that you need to get there - even if you live in a dry and barren place”. Additionally, all these trees provide, shade, food and habitat - they become a source of blessing to the environment around them.

To us…this surely should be a source of encouragement. God not only wants us to survive - but to flourish and to grow in such a way that we add benefit to the environment around us.

Have you made yourself drought-proof by tapping into the ‘Living Water’ that is Jesus Christ? Or are you letting life’s events and your own emotional state dictate your level of faith. Even harder times are coming. We MUST be grounded in a deep relationship with Jesus Christ because the things we lean on like relationships, family, work, our wealth (or lack thereof), our things, our social status (or lack thereof) - they will fall away, they will disappoint and they will pull us away from God. The ONLY constant in this life is JESUS CHRIST!!!

I pray that in these times you pray that God will increase your strength, and faith. May you draw ever closer to Jesus. May HE heal your wounds, may HE bring you peace even as storms rage about you, even as you navigate your way through a time of drought and barrenness.