Dear Lilies,
“The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry lands springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress and the pine and the box tree together, that they may see and know the hand of the LORD has done this, and the Holy One of Israel created it.” Isaiah 41:17-20
How to begin? I cannot make any excuses as to why this letter is just getting to you. I don’t know what is going on or why "things are hard", but I know the One who knows. I was reminded of this sitting in the window cubby of the Williams building at FSU at 9:48am. I was thirsty. Really, really, thirsty. As I stared at my (actually, it’s my mom’s…woops) hot pink Nalgene water bottle, I felt like all the water in the world could never quench my thirst. You see, I’ve been in a valley for the last however long. It doesn’t really matter how long, because God’s Truth is the same however far, long, deep or shallow the valley is. My prayer for these letters has been that God's Truth be made known, unashamedly, so that even just for three and a half minutes, we can meditate on something real and true, in a world of illusion. The past five weeks, God has shown me very clearly what to write about. Many times, as I have shared, it has been things that hadn't even crossed my mind. So for this week, I was praying and seeking, but to be completely honest, I have been lazy (and a bit scared) to really study. When you open yourself up, really open yourself up, to let God work in your heart, mind and soul, He shows you amazing and beautiful things. The thing is, this doesn’t happen just thinking about it or even saying a one-time heart felt prayer. It isn’t complicated, it is simple and I’ve said it before. We have to read and study what He has given us. His living word. Why am I saying all this? Not to make an excuse for myself, but to expose myself.
It didn't really hit be until today, as I felt physically thirsty that I realized I have spent all week staring at the bottle and not drinking.
Jesus tell us in John 4:14 “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
How can I expect to feel refreshed, rejuvenated and hydrated if I deny myself the very wellspring of living water?
It would be like me staring at my Nalgene bottle full of 32oz of nice cool water and saying “Gosh, how and when in the world will I not feel so parched? Can someone tell me what I can do to get rid of this thirst?!” If I did that, I hope all of you would tell me I’ve lost it. Or at least tell me, “Sarah, what are you talking about? You have a giant water bottle right in front of you! Drink some! Duh…”
We know, or have probably heard, that God offers us Living Water through His Word, but what about when you feel like you’re in a desert? What about when you feel like you’re in a valley?
Sisters, if you have believed in Christ Jesus, that he died for your sins and rose again, defeating death forever, you have a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life inside of you.
As my heart cried out to God for His Living Water to fill my soul, soak up my parched heart of worry and my flood my depressed body, I read this verse.
“I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry lands springs of water.” Isaiah 41:18
If you’re like me, you may feel like you are in a desolate place. You know you have access to the Living Water in Jesus and still, you feel like you are in the deepest valley. The wilderness. Dear Lilies, listen to our Father’s words of promise. He will turn your desolation into a river of flowing water. He will spring up fountains in your valley. He will turn your wilderness into an ocean. He will turn your dry land into springs of water.
He can, dear one, he can. And not just that, He will.
Sometimes, it seems easier to stare at the bottle and wish for it to enter our bodies and quench our thirst. But how refreshed are we when we finally pick it up and drink it? “Why didn’t I do that in the first place?” “Why didn’t I do that days, weeks, years ago?”
Rest assured, it is never too late.
Don’t wait until you need an IV.
Don’t give up.
Drink up.
With love,
Sarah