Let us acknowledge the LORD; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. Hosea 6: 3 

North Georgia, my home, has experienced numerous drought conditions in the 20+ summers I’ve lived here. The spirit of people grew heavier the longer it went on and the more we watched the landscape turn brown. Watering bans reminded us that water is precious, necessary for life. 

There were natural casualties. A certain kind of pine tree in our area died. One could see swaths of dead pines along the road while driving. They did not die, directly, from lack of water. However, lack of water made them vulnerable to a certain beetle, which was able to invade the trees and kill them. Without rain, they became prey to their enemies. 

Oh, the joy when it rained. I remember hearing the crashes of thunder one night, thanked the Lord for it, and got up to go sit on the porch to bask in the sound of the rain coming down on the roof. My heart was full the next morning as I saw the plants looking strong and upright, ground around them wet with moisture.

As nature declares the glory of God and provides spiritual metaphors from which we can learn, I consider the times I have known spiritual drought. Just as a landscape does not dry up overnight, so I have known and experienced the slow starvation of my soul. The more time I spent away from the refreshing rains of God’s spirit, the more my spiritual being shriveled for lack of nourishment. And, just as the pine trees became vulnerable to intruders, my spirit became food for the locusts. I was not strong enough to fight off the arrows of the enemy. 

When I sought God persistently with my whole heart, the rains of His Spirit began to fall. They trickled into the barren places of my soul. I soaked up the moisture like a sponge and could feel myself coming to life, spiritually.  As I began to feel spiritual hunger, I became ravenous.  Even the crumbs felt like a feast. 

Today, I tip my face toward You, the Giver of life. Bathe me in the nourishing rains of Your Spirit. Amen