A couple of days ago I wrote about how it stinks to lose your watch and how the feeling of losing your watch parallels the spiritually dry times of life. Today I want to write about how I believe we come out of those spiritually dry times. And the two words that come to mind are dependence and obedience.
As I think about losing our watch spiritually I cannot help but think of Peter and Jesus' other disciples during those last days and after the resurrection. Peter of course went through a tough time spiritually as he denied Jesus three times and wept bitterly about it. And after Jesus was crucified the disciples certainly felt like they had lost their watch spiritually. The Bible tells us they were locked way behind closed doors for fear of the religious and political authorities.
Both Peter and the disciples were in a place of dependence. They were utterly dependent on Jesus to come and revive them by breathing on them his Holy Spirit both before he ascended and then again in a big way at Pentecost. I think the same is true for us. While there are things we can do to move out of spiritually dry places such as commit to regular prayer and scripture reading and Sabbath taking it is ultimately God's grace we cooperate with that renews us.
And this is where obedience plays a role. Before Jesus ascended he told his disciples to go and wait in Jerusalem for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. It is in being obedient to this command and while in a state of dependence that God pours out the Holy Spirit and these cowering and denying disciples are released for ministry that turns the world upside down! So too for us. As we are obedient to the commands to pray to rest to wait to persevere and more we are renewed. We find the watch again and get back on track so we can turn the world upside down and storm the gates of hell with a water pistol!
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