My dear friend, how does your life look when you go through a dry season? Do you continue to bear good fruit for the Lord, or do your branches dry up and your leaves wither?
It’s that time of year when spring and the normal structures and schedules of the school year are coming to a close. The open, borderless days of summer are ahead of us. For many of us, including me, this is a time when I begin to gird my loins against the long, dry months.
The fall, winter, and spring are times when I am safely hemmed in by a predictable schedule, and by regular meeting together with precious sisters in Christ – we seek God together in His Word, we share the hardships and joys of our lives together, and we grow in purposeful mission together.
In the summer, there is a long break from our regular gatherings. In the first few weeks, I enjoy the moments to breathe easy and relax from the months of hard work. But each year, by the end of the summer, my soul can begin to feel parched – beyond the good kind of thirst that enjoys a refreshing drink – and in desperate need to come together again with my community. It is not good for me to be alone.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. -Jeremiah 17:7-8
God says through the prophet Jeremiah that we don’t need to fear the heat of the summer. We don’t need to stop bearing good fruit even during the drought. But in and of ourselves, we can’t bring forth fruit to bear. We are subject to the changing seasons.
Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. -Jeremiah 17:5-6
The Jeremiah passage has a comparison and a contrast.
A person who “makes flesh his strength” is a person “whose heart turns away from the Lord.” What does it mean for me to “make flesh (my) strength?” Where does my strength come from? If I only look to myself, I am making a big mistake. I could look to my own cleverness, or to self-care practices, or to self-improvement. This would be foolish. Jeremiah says that when I depend on my own flesh, it is the same as turning my heart away from the Lord. My limited resources run out if I don’t draw from the deep well of God’s Spirit poured into me!
Contrast flesh-dependence with a person who “trusts in the Lord.” When I recognize the source of my life, the very presence of God, Jeremiah says that it won’t matter what season I encounter! Even in the drought, the water of the Spirit of God will cause my branches to bear fruit and my leaves to stay green! Even if the world can’t give me what I need, God’s Spirit comes from a deeper well. He promises springs in the desert! This is what my soul longs for and thirsts for, as in a dry and weary land.
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” -Psalm 122:1
This summer, I encourage you to be intentional in the way that you seek the Lord. Set yourself up for success! One of the greatest gifts we are given as believers is the friendship of other Christians. It makes me glad when I get to go to the place where I can be with other people who love God! It encourages me and gives water to my soul.
Make a regular plan to get together with a sister in Christ. Get a scheduled walk or coffee date on the calendar.
Join an Abiding Space summer group (or host a group) through Drawing Near to God. It is always open to drop in for a week, and never too late to join!
