In your Christian life, there are times when God seems so distant. Even though you remain faithful to spend regular time in the Word of God and exercise spiritual discipline such as fasting, and even though you continue to praise God and be thankful, nothing seems to make you feel close to God.
You may have known Jesus for many years. You have done everything you know to try to get closer to God, to no avail.
You may be serving the Lord in a position of spiritual leadership. Your ministry may be going well, and yet, your spiritual life is like wandering through a desert.
An obvious cause for a time of spiritual “dryness” is sin.
When I refused to confess my sin, my whole body wasted away,
while I groaned in pain all day long.
For day and night you tormented me;
you tried to destroy me in the intense heat of summer. (Selah)
(Psalm 32:3–4)
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any sin you are refusing to acknowledge. Read Psalm 32 several times and follow its pattern.
Dry Seasons
For maturing believers, a spiritually dry season is neither the result of sin nor the discipline of the Father. It is a necessary period for further growth and often a spiritual breakthrough.
Jesus began His public ministry with a desert experience that included temptations by the devil.
Even when you don’t sense God’s presence, feel His love, or see His goodness for a long time, it is important to remain faithful to do what is right, trusting that the Holy Spirit still is in you and guiding and empowering you.
Who among you fears the LORD
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the LORD
and rely on his God. (Isaiah 50:10)
During this time, it is also critical for you to maintain a posture of learning and reflection. There are things God teaches and shows you that cannot be gained at any other time with God.
The desert time often disrupts your routines. Because you realize that what you have been doing — your spiritual habits and disciplines — is no longer working, you may try something new or different. God often shows you new things as your routines are disrupted.
For example, if you are in a position of spiritual leadership, a desert time may be God’s way of getting your attention and redirecting your life and ministry.
Since it is a God-ordained period, it will come to an end at His right time. If you remain faithful to the Lord, you will come out of it stronger and wiser, ready for greater works He has prepared for you.