It is hot here at our house. Makes me long for the winter weather that we enjoyed over in Tanzania. Remarkably even with the temperature in the high 70's some of the folks there were wearing coats. I certainly would not want to be over there during their summer.
We have no choice but endure this severe drought and excessive heat. The grass in our yard cries out for water, but the heavens don't open up and satisfy this thirst.
For lack of water the grass has languishes. It is in a dormant stage, having turned brown and is struggling to merely survive. Presently it shows little signs of real life. Its vitality and lucious green color has been lost. I am assuming that it will come back to life when sufficient rain comes down. Reviving is now its greatest need. By the way, Peggy is a camera freak, but I haven't seen her running out taking pictures of our lawn. Who would want to look at them? There are some important lessons for us Christians to learn here.
Last week a man from our lawn care service stopped by, but there was nothing he could do to bring our grass back to its desired vitality. Peggy has eight rose bushes and two crepe myrtles that were not blooming, but looked sick and droopy. Three weeks ago we started watering them late every evening. Now, they have revived and are gracing our yard with beautiful flowers.
If I am allowed to use some typology, I have just described the spiritual condition of many followers of Christ. They are like the grass in our lawn. For lack of necessary nourishment they have dried up spiritually. The Psalmist feared this happening to him so he stated, "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:2).
No follower of Christ should ever settle for just surviving, being barely alive as is true of our grass at this time. There is nothing attractive about such a one. Such Christian lacks the vibrancy and beauty of Christ. They cannot reflect Christ. Thus they are a poor witness and will never draw anyone to Christ and the abundant life that He offers.
God intends for His children to be productive and fruitful. Psalm 92:12-14 states God's desire for us. "The righteous man will flouish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green" (NASB).
How does one maintain the vigor that God intends? Again Psalms has the answer in Psalm 1:2-3, "His delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers."
Jesus promised the Samaritan woman at the well, "...whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life" (John 4:14). Inside every true believer is an artesian well that shall never cease flowing freely. Further, Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. But his He spoke of the Spirit..."
(John 7:38-39a).
Why aren't all Christians prospering as God intends? The answer is that sin is daming up the well and blocking the flow of the Holy Spirit. No Christian should be content looking like our lawn looks right now. Confession of one's sins will bring cleansing and revival to a dried up Christian.
