End of the famine

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,  but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”- John 4:13-14

In the Old Testament one of the most feared events was a famine. There are many stories of how God’s people responded when famines began and often it was not in ways that helped their situations. They were so afraid of famines that they tried to get rain for themselves by looking to and worshiping the false gods of the pagan countries around them. They took “control” by trying to win the favor of the false gods, which made them feel less vulnerable.

But this distrust of God only made them disobedient to the One true God and taking matters into their own hands backfired on them. In their efforts to prevent a famine, they caused one. The drought in their spiritual lives led to a drought in their physical lives.

This message hit home with me in a powerful way. For almost seven years I have been battling my own fear of losing another loved one. Mentally and emotionally I’ve been preparing myself should it happen again, thinking that it might give me some resemblance of control. I now realize that this has only created a spiritual famine in my own life because my dependence has been on myself instead of God. I was trying to create my own rain (security) instead of looking to the ONE who freely gives the rain.

I’ve been trying so hard to find peace and a sense of control for myself, that I’ve missed out on the abundant life that God has for me right now. My desperate fear and need for control has been preventing me from receiving the life, love and peace, the living water that God has been offering all along.

Jeremiah 2: 13 tells us, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” My fears and actions towards those fears will never be able to bring me the peace that I seek. Only Jesus, the living water, will be able to satisfy my soul and drench the famine within.

He knows my longings, desires and fears and He is the ONLY WAY to overcome them. I no longer need to fear what may or may not happen in the future because I know the ONE who holds the future. I no longer need to live with a false sense of control which, as the scripture says, “cannot hold water.”

It’s time for this famine to end and the way to bring it to a close is to pray for and receive the living water that Christ offers. Release the fears that have spiritually drained my soul, receive the truth of His word and trust in His all mighty power and presence to sustain me through whatever the future holds.

Father, please forgive me for seeking my own way to deal with my fears. Thank you for opening my eyes to the truth of my situation and seeing the famine that resulted from my actions. I pray for Your rain to fall on my life, help me to receive every drop and soak in all that You have for me. Bring new life to the barren places. In Jesus’ name, amen.