The first symptom that comes
to mind is depression.
In this state the joy of living
has departed.
There is no eagerness to live and most of our thoughts are inward.
There is no desire to read God's Word and when we do our hearts have become so dry and our spirits have become so dull and hazy that our minds cannot absorb the moist dew of God's Word.
A second symptom is anger.
Anger over-whelms our thoughts to a point that all others are blocked out.
It consumes our nature and makes us unreasonable.
Hardness of heart sets in and so much so that even the gentle rain of God's Word sheds off.
A third symptom of spiritual dryness is worldliness;
simply put--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
( I John 2:16 )
These are the things that take our mind off God's will and way and set it upon our will and way.
This brings about a cold heart.
A cold heart is tight and becomes dry, and resists the warmth of
God's Word.
A fourth symptom is worry.
All of us are very familiar with
what worry does to our spirits.
It slowly and treacherously drains us, leaving us weak and without strength.
In this helpless state so much
energy is leaving out that our
hearts have no time to absorb the fresh encouragement of God's Word,
thus we become spiritually dry.
Now that some symptoms have been laid before us,
what is the prescription to prevent these aliments?
First we need to examine ourselves to see if we have an unforgiving heart toward someone.
This has to be corrected and forsaken at once.
Next, we need to confess our
sins and turn in true repentance
from them.
And thirdly, Hosea gives us an enlightening answer in Hosea 6:3,
"So let us know,
let us press on to know the Lord.
His going forth is as certain as the dawn;
And He will come to us, like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth."
Oh, how encouraging these words sound!
What is it we have to do?
"Press on to know the Lord."
Be faithful, never stop in your quest to know the Lord more fully, never turn aside to the right or to the left, stay on the straight course, and seek a refreshing from the Lord,
daily partaking of a portion of God's Word and praying.
Let the Word of God be at home in you.
Don't put yourself on a spiritual starvation diet.
Don't starve to death in a house full of the best food available.
Feast upon the Bread of Life.
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