We’ve been in the midst of a series here at Epic where we’ve been talking about the significant historical importance that wells had in Biblical context. Wells provided the ability to live. Wells meant water and water meant life. Because they were sources of water, wells were places where many historical faith-giants like Abraham and his son Isaac were able to lay the groundwork for what would become the great nation of Israel.
Later on in the Bible, Jesus came along and His own memorable moment at a well, where He declares to a Samaritan woman that not only is He the giver of a “living water” that will satisfy one’s thirst for good, but that He is the Messiah, the Savior of the world promised throughout the Old Testament (John 4)
Jesus promises that those that “drink” from Him will never thirst again. But what do you do when you feel like your Spiritual well has run dry? What do we do when we encounter a season where it seems everything is dried up, barren and the water that once flowed and satisfied us is seemingly nowhere to be found? As we see in this story with Jesus and the woman at the well, He promises a water that will satisfy her thirst once and for all. I believe that to be true, but I know that we as followers of Christ still encounter times in our lives where we don’t feel God’s presence or where we will have no desire to pray, read the Word or spend time worshiping Him and God feels like He’s abandoned us in the middle of the desert with no “living water” to be found. So what do we do when we feel like the well has run dry?
Remember His promises
In the book of Isaiah, God speaks to the nation of Israel, preparing them for hard times in captivity that they are about to face. They themselves are about to enter a difficult season, and God knows that they’re bound to feel like He has abandoned them. He knows they’ll feel as if their proverbial wells are all dried up and that He has left them without hope. Which is why He speaks to them through His prophets to remind them of His promises to them:
“The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none,
And their tongue is parched with thirst;
I, the Lord, will answer them Myself,
As the God of Israel I will not forsake them.
“I will open rivers on the bare heights
And springs in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water
And the dry land fountains of water
While this promise was specifically to the nation of Israel, we see the heart of God towards all of HIs people in the midst of this promise. God doesn’t promise that you won’t have times of dryness. He doesn’t say that everything will always will be green grass and lush pastures. But what He does promise is that He will provide miraculous sustenance in the midst of those barren times. Holding on to that promise shows us that there is hope in the midst of those times and that when it feels like He has abandoned us, He will provide miracles to sustain us. From those fountains of water that spring up in the dry lands, we can begin to once again find the life-giving resources that will once again remind us that if we drink of Him, we will truly never thirst again. However, I believe it to be pertinent to seek out those sources even when it seems to be a fruitless endeavor.
Feelings Aren’t Facts
When I am going through a season of spiritual dryness, the very last thing I want to do is press into my relationship with Christ. Everything seems pointless and it feels like I’ll never get out my proverbial funk. I have started to recognize that when I’m feeling this way that these are lies from the enemy designed to keep me stuck in the same place. In these times, I must remember that feelings are not facts, and that our feelings aren’t always reliable despite popular belief.
In truth, when in a season where I feel distant from God or uninspired or like the well has run dry, the source still remains. Let’s look again at John 4 where Jesus talks to the woman at the well, He says “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” Notice that Jesus uses the third-person present tense, “drinks.” You could look at that as a one time, “drink one time and you’ll be satisfied forever” or, perhaps Jesus was speaking of Him being the eternal source that if you continually drink from, will leave you eternally satisfied. I tend to think the latter based on our war of flesh and spirit. Even your most-seasoned follower of Christ finds themselves tempted to seek other sources when experiencing hardship, but when we press in in these times of uncertainty and times where we feel God is most distant, we will inevitably find that the well isn’t dry at all. Jesus is the resource that never fails to satisfy. He alone satisfies in ways we will never find in any other source.
But what do we do in those seasons of dryness that we encounter? How do we find the Source that doesn’t disappoint in midst of what feels like a hopeless desert? Check back later this week where in my next piece, I’ll detail a few practical steps to take if you find yourself in a similar season, or to prepare you for when you are.
Written By: Cal Renner, Communications Team
