I was having a conversation with a friend awhile back after a needful rain had passed over our property. Although it didn’t last long, it dropped about 1.5″ and I told her I was grateful for that watering, and my plants sure loved it.
It has been dry for awhile at our place, and the rain that had been popping up on the radar seemed to just barely skim past us. But I told her, “what we really need is a few good slow soaking rains to pass over and water the roots of our plants and trees.”
As we were discussing this, I thought about the spiritual condition of our hearts, and how we can go through dry patches as well. My own testimony is that I was saved/born again at 33 years old, and on fire for the Lord. I was so excited to share the love of God with anyone who would listen.
Well, the Devil knows how to bring condemnation and distractions into a new Christians life, and very soon I found myself saved and stuck in a rut for 10 years. I was not rooted and grounded in the word of God, therefore I was not growing in my Christian walk.
A long dry spell for my soul!
But praise the Lord for His faithfulness, because when I made another heart decision, this time to make Him Lord over my life, He was still right there waiting patiently for me to trust Him. Once again, the love of God encouraged me, and I made a drastic change- checking into a spiritual ICU where I unplugged from worldly distractions/influences, while getting plugged into sound teachings rooted in the word of God.
Now, I want to mention that for the first time I had started reading my Bible with a purpose … to become intimate with the One who wrote it.
At first my heart felt hard as a rock towards God, while other’s were crying and weeping during praise and worship, I just sat looking into my lap feeling nothing. But I remained steadfast in seeking the Lord through His word.
And this is very important, right away the Lord led me into teachings about the baptism of the Holy Spirit- with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Even though the church I grew up in did not believe in speaking in tongues, I made a decision to put aside “the doctrines of men that had been making the word of God ineffective in my life.” Hosea 4:6.
I poured through the scriptures with the peace of God guiding me and I found out that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for every born again Believer in Christ Jesus who will ask and receive.
When I prayed to the Lord for this gift, I simply said, “Heavenly Father, I believe if I ask for bread, You will not give me a stone, and if I ask for an egg, You will not give me a scorpion. So right now I am asking You to immerse me in Your Holy Spirit. I want to receive ALL that You have for me.”
I did not feel one goose bump, no tongues of fire, no choir of angels … nothing at that moment. But something did change on the inside of me- something happened! Over the next few days when I read my Bible, the words seemed to leap off the pages!
Suddenly, the scriptures that I had read numerous times, I now had understanding of.
You know, 2 Tim. 3:16 declares that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God,” so Who better to teach us the word of God, then the Person who wrote it!! (The Holy Spirit, who is Jesus/God – not in bodily form.)
Something else happened, a boldness came over me in praying for people, and taking my authority in Christ Jesus and allowing Him to work through me- casting out demons, healing the sick and yes, even raising the dead. (That’s another column.)
Right now, some of you reading this might be thinking, well I don’t want to do that.
Yes you do!!
If you don’t have the baptism of the Holy Spirit (with the evidence of speaking in tongues), it is like charging hell with a water pistol. Powerless. And that is how I felt before I asked for (and expecting) and received this wonderful Gift from the Lord.
My love walk with the Lord also blossomed, (Romans 5:5), and I received healing, and revelation knowledge/wisdom in every part of my life- emotionally, relationships, physically and financially.
You know, many times we are trying to get by on a Sunday sermon, or 15 minute daily devotional. These are good Spiritual showers, yet, to keep our hearts from becoming hard/dry – we need a good long soaking in the word of God. The soil of our heart needs a good watering from God’s word daily, where the seed can find fertile/moist soil to take root in and bear good fruit.
I realize not all of us can spend hours reading/studying the Bible every day as our jobs and families can take a lot of time. But, with today’s technology you can “soak” while driving in your car, or while exercising, or practically anywhere.
All of us need more of God in our lives….
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:10-11
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
