As I sit here typing this blog post, big beautiful flakes of snow are falling heavily outside my windows!
The verse pops into my mind: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:10-11
This past week was momentous, in that the dry barren desert of southern California finally began to receive water from the snowmelt far away to the north, from the mountains of Oregon. For years God has been sending plentiful rain and snow (just like he said in the above verse), to water the earth and make it flourish, so that there are plenty of crops & food, so that people can flourish & thrive.
However … all the abundant rain and snowmelt has not been allowed to flow southward to sustain, to water, to nourish the land & people of southern California. Instead, a valve has been turned off … diverting all that life-giving water into the Pacific Ocean.
But now … now the land is finally receiving the water it so desperately has needed!
I can’t help but think how in life, many people’s lives are a lot like this situation.
God has clearly stated that His Word (the Bible) is like snow and rain in the life of those who love and follow Him. When Christians read God’s Word, it is water for our souls … which makes us flourish and causes our spiritual lives to be abundantly fruitful! This is what the above verse states.
However, it seems so strange that some Christians have been in church their entire lives and have heads absolutely full of the knowledge of God’s Word … and yet … their life is as barren and as dry as the desert of southern California.
What happened??
Why is their life so dry and barren?? They’ve been in church their whole life. They’ve listened to thousands of sermons. They’ve attended numerous Bible studies.
– Why is their spiritual life a dry barren dessert of anxiety, worry, and fear??
– Why is their spiritual life totally dried up and ravaged by “wildfires” of bitterness, unforgiveness, and resentment?? Just like southern California’s devastating wildfires.
– Why is their life characterized by consistently lying, in order to maintain “good appearances” in front of people??
– Why is their life characterized by criticism, gossip, condemnation, and slander towards everyone around them??
Where is the water??
Where is the water of the Word??
The valve has been turned off. The water of the Word has not been allowed to make it from the head (up north) down to the heart (where actions are impacted).
All those sermons, all those Bible studies, all that knowledge of God’s Word is just simply head-knowledge. It’s no different really than historical head-knowledge.
Knowing the historical facts of Napolean trying to cross the Alps to conquer Rome … that historical head-knowledge does nothing whatsoever to help when it comes to overwhelming anxiety, fear, and worry in someone’s life right here, right now. It is in this way that many Christians have a head full of knowledge about God’s Word … but that head-knowledge is just historical/theoretical facts. It does nothing whatsoever to help them in their practical day-by-day struggles of life.
The valve has been turned off.
God states very emphatically that His Word is like snow falling … His Word is like rain falling … His Word absolutely will water the lives of His followers so that their lives are fruitful and flourishing! This is a guarantee!
The Word of God will cause change in the life of a Christian.
The Word of God will impact & transform the life of a Christian. This is a guarantee!
If your life seems akin to a dry, barren dessert (much like the dry barrenness of southern California) … check the valve to see if the water of God’s Word is actually making it from your head down to your heart – your soul – your actions.
* Your actions will be impacted by God’s Word.
* Your life will be changed & transformed by God’s Word.
* Your life will be fruitful due to the water of God’s Word.
* Your life will be spiritually flourishing due to the water of God’s Word.
Is the water flowing??
Or is the valve turned off up north??
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:10-11
