Our spiritual walk with God goes through dry spells too. Sometimes we feel so far away from God and His presence that our spirit man begins to wither. It may not be obvious at first, but slowly it becomes visible. Our leaves start to turn brown - our action, our words, reflect a certain kind of dryness, a certain type of impending death. We lose our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Something inside of us is dying.
The same could be the same at the corporate level - the Church. Sometimes we go through a difficult period. A period where heaven seemed shut. A period where God seemed to have turned away from us. No blessing, no breakthrough. We wait, we wail, and there is no avail. Some begin to fall away. The weaker parts wither first. Somewhere inside, death seems imminent.
But like in the days of Elijah, heavens will not remain shut forever. In Singapore, after a long period of drought, the sky opened up, and rain began to fall. The parched earth lapped up each drop of heaven's goodness. The scorched grass cries out "Hallelujah". Roots spring into action, devouring all its mouth could reach. The trees sing out "Glory Glory Glory", for all of heaven is Yours, all of earth bows in worship, of the One, the Creator.
Job Chapter 14
We’re all adrift in the same boat:
too few days, too many troubles.
We spring up like wildflowers in the desert and then wilt,
transient as the shadow of a cloud.
Do you occupy your time with such fragile wisps?
Why even bother hauling me into court?
There’s nothing much to us to start with;
how do you expect us to amount to anything?
For a tree there is always hope.
Chop it down and it still has a chance—
its roots can put out fresh sprouts.
Even if its roots are old and gnarled,
its stump long dormant,
At the first whiff of water it comes to life,
buds and grows like a sapling.
There is something magical that happens when it starts to rain after the long period of drought. At the first scent of water, the Bible says, plants come to life, and it buds and grow like a born again. Something amazing began to happen in my neighbourhood. Where there was brown grass, everything became green again. Trees spring to life. Flowers burst forth on every tree. On the crown of the tree just next to my balcony, birds of all kind congregate to partake of the sweet nectar amidst the blooms. We woke up early every morning and watched the birds in action, while we sipped coffee and appreciated the beauty of life.
I took walks around different neighbourhoods, and saw the plants in its full glory. For the first time in 40 years, there was a synchronised mass blooming across Singapore. The little island was having its own Sakura moment. Never have I seen anything so beautiful. Trees became a myriad of green, pink, white and yellow. It was glorious. I have never experienced such richness of life.
City Harvest is going through a difficult period. A period of dryness. A period of barrenness. But tarry a little longer. If you can survive through this period of dryness, you will enter a period of blossoming too. The heavens will not remain shut forever. God will soon pour out His rain among this land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
The key is in humbling ourselves, and praying and seeking the face of God. God is healing the land. And His rain is coming. And when it comes, be ready to soak it all up. For this will be our finest hour. We will blossom, we will manifest the full glory of the church. We will bear fruits, and these fruits will remain.
Will you give up now? Or will you persevere on? Survive the drought, God is bringing the rain. We will see our finest hour yet.
Love what you wrote! Nice pictures taken.
ReplyDelete