I’d been laying there longer than I realized. The sun and warm weather felt great…..until it didn’t. I knew I had a problem when I tried to stand up, and couldn’t. I only made it to my knees before I had to stop and steady myself. Woah, what’s happening? I was dizzy, breathing heavily and my heart was pounding as clammy sweat poured down my face. Come on, I can do this. I’m okay. I’m okay. Nope. Not okay. I gotta get out of here. A little embarrassed and not wanting to draw attention to myself, I made excuses and tried to quickly grab my things and get to the car. Just don’t pass out! I told myself. But by now, my chest was heaving, tunnel vision began to set in and my shoulders tensed as I tried to climb the few steps to the car. Just don’t pass out! Just don’t pass out! Hang on!
Well, after several bottles of water and some air conditioning, I began to cool down and recover. What was that about? I’d been dehydrated before, but I’d never experienced something quite like this. It was extreme. Extreme dehydration is scary and it can happen quickly, even when you’re drinking water. It’s hard to keep up in the intense heat of summer in Okinawa, Japan.
Some reports say that 75% of adults in the U.S. are dehydrated. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do believe that many of us can get spiritually dehydrated. King David experienced this when he wrote in the wilderness:
“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 NKJV
This troubled world is certainly a dry and thirsty land where there seems to be no water! But we shouldn’t be confused or knocked down by it. Jesus told His disciples in John 16:33b “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
When spiritually dehydrated, even the strongest believers in Christ will find it difficult to stand up against the constant opposition of the world. Our faith becomes unsteady and we feel weak. When trials come, we may doubt God, get confused by our circumstances, overwhelmed with worry, and feel like we’re just barely hanging on. At that point, it’s all too easy for fear and anxiety to take over, isn’t it? So what’s the remedy? Hang on and hydrate!
Just as harsh climates require increased hydration, living in a world where evil seems to triumph requires increased spiritual hydration. We must increase our intake of Him and His Word. A sip once a week on Sunday just isn’t enough to keep up under the intense heat of this life.
I need to continually be in His Word and drinking in the Living Water. I must allow His Spirit, His truth, His promises, His love, to wash over me, strengthen me, and permeate every cell of my thirsty soul. It’s like God’s Gatorade! How about you? Need some heavenly hydration?
Jesus said:
“..whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14 NKJV
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