Droughts parch the land. Plants wither and water becomes scarce. Some have tried rain dances. Others have cried out to God. The bottom line is that although a drought is unwelcome, we cannot control its length. So instead of seeking to stop or shorten the drought, we need to figure out how to live through the drought. The same is true in a spiritual sense. We have obvious times of growth and beauty in our walk with the Lord, but we also experience times of drought. Evidently, the Sons of Asaph endured a spiritual drought. Psalm 85 reveals signs of a former drought and clues on how to stay ready in case of a drought.
As you read through the psalm you find the effects that come when God's people don't drink God's living water. The sins and iniquities of the people had evoked the anger and wrath of God, (vs. 2-3). The pain of the drought had severely affected the land. The ancient song writers desperately seek living water, but they ask as if they are uncertain that God will keep the recent streams flowing. I think their honest inquiries reveal an important aspect of surviving spiritual droughts.
The child of God must learn to be honest before God. God knows the heart so why do many believers play church games. You can't drink of the living water if you don't open your heart? Share your fears with God. Learn to talk openly with the Lord. The Psalmists asked God to revive the people of God. They asked God to cool His anger. Listen to this honest appeal that has great merit. PS 85:4 Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us. They were saying, “Lord, our lips have been parched long enough. Our hearts are dry and our spirits are thirsty. Lord, we are desperate for the flow of your grace in our lives. We are dehydrated for your mercy. Please be merciful to us.
The next truth crucial to surviving spiritual droughts is hard for us to grasp in our fast paced culture. The child of God must learn to listen to God. PS 85:8 I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints-- but let them not return to folly. Do you spend time listening to God? I fear that many of us read a few scripture verses or a page of a devotional and then proceed directly into a list of requests. Then close our Bibles and check off the mental box that says, “Have a daily quiet time.” Personally, I have found that my natural impulse in times of drought is to find somebody who I think will listen to me rather than finding a place to listen to the Lord. There is value in sharing one's heart with a friend who will listen but there is more value in learning to listen to God.
How do we develop a listening heart? The sons of Korah offer two insights. First,we need to realize that God's plan for us is not strife, but peace. He promises us peace. In Christ we are His people and we are His saints. There are some strange ideas floating around out there regarding the identity of a saint. A saint, according to the Bible, is not one who performs miracles, but rather one who has experienced the life changing miracle of salvation. You are a saint if you have been born from above through Jesus Christ. It is easier to listen when we begin to understand that God's longing is not to chide and beat us, but rather to bring us to a place where we can experience His perfect peace. Jesus said, John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. These words were given to His troubled followers who had just heard Him say that he was going to leave them. He promised to send another (the Holy Spirit) but all they wanted was to keep Jesus as they now had Him. They sensed the drought was near. Fear gripped them and they began to wonder if God was going to desert them. They needed to listen to Jesus. They needed to hear His promise of peace.
Second, we need to realize that folly blocks God' intended peace and hinders us from listening to His voice. PS 85:8c ...but let them not return to folly. Ungers Bible Dictionary defines Folly as a weak or absurd act; silliness or emptiness. Such an act is identified as anything that is contrary to God's revealed truth. When we chase the fleeting desires of our human nature we open ourselves up to much folly. The allure of these desires is so tantalizing, so consuming, that other voices are tuned out. Folly brings great pain, yet those who follow folly often blame their suffering on God. Proverbs 19:3 A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD. Folly is dangerous because it calls us to listen to the wrong voice-a voice that promises satisfaction, but ultimately robs us of peace. The Lord is the only One who offers what our hearts fundamentally long for. Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength (KJV).
Droughts come and droughts go, but how we fare in them is directly tied to how open we are with the Lord and how well we have learned to listen to Him.