Sunday 16 August
10am – Parish Communion – St Mary’s, Easton
In the Days of Desert Dryness
“In the days of desert dryness (God) split open the mighty rock, and the waters flowed like a river before their very eyes. He gave them all they wanted to drink from his living springs.”
Psalm 78:15–16 (TPT)
“You will be my witnesses.”
Acts 1:8
In recent weeks I have felt God drawing my attention again and again to Psalm 78 and its picture of desert dryness. That image hardly needs explaining at the moment. Gardens are fading, flowers are wilting, and many lawns are beginning to resemble the Sahara. We are all becoming increasingly aware of how dependent we are upon water, and yet we are not in control of when the rain comes.
The same is often true of spiritual refreshing. Throughout the history of God’s people, seasons of renewal and revival have rarely arrived on human schedules. In His providence, God seems to pour out His living water when His people become deeply aware of their need and begin to thirst for Him with renewed desperation.
In the meantime, there is something important for us to do: unstop the old wells.
“And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them.”
Genesis 26:18
Isaac did not create water; he simply reopened the places where water had once flowed. Perhaps that is a helpful picture for us in this season.
The Well of Word and Prayer
Over the years I have experimented with many different ways of reading the Bible, but I have discovered that if I do not meet with God first thing in the morning, the day quickly fills every available space.
At present I use a devotional guide called ‘Seeking God’s Face’. I spend about twenty minutes reading the appointed passages and then praying them back to Jesus, bringing before Him whatever is on my heart and mind that day. It is not complicated or dramatic, but it is a well that consistently gives water.
The aim is not simply to get through a Bible reading, but to allow God’s Word to become conversation — listening to Him, responding to Him, and placing ourselves before Him each day.
The Well of Encouragement
Another well I continually need is encouragement. Life is often complex, demanding, and draining, and none of us is meant to walk it alone. One of the ways God has encouraged me over the years has been through Christian biography.
As a young Christian I devoured the stories of God’s work in the lives of men and women who had gone before us. I read almost everything written by John Pollock, and the one that remains most memorable is Wesley the Preacher. More recently, I have greatly appreciated Eric Metaxas, whose substantial biography Bonhoeffer is a remarkable account of courage, faithfulness, and costly discipleship. It is not a light read, but it is a deeply rewarding one.
Such books remind us that God has sustained His people through droughts, disappointments, opposition, and uncertainty before — and He is able to do so again.
Living Springs
Psalm 78 is ultimately not a story about human effort; it is a story about God’s faithfulness. He is the One who split the rock. He is the One who caused water to flow in the wilderness. He is the One who gave His people “living springs.”
As we pray for rain upon the land, perhaps we might also pray for fresh water for our souls, our homes, our church, and the people of the Itchen Valley. And while we wait for whatever new thing God may choose to do, let us keep digging again the wells of Scripture, prayer, worship, fellowship, and encouragement.
The promise of Jesus remains wonderfully unchanged:
“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
John 7 v 38
with every blessing
David
David’s Contact Details
If you would like to contact David, his email address is david@itchenvalleychurches.org
His landline telephone number is 01962 582226 and he will obviously be living at Itchen Valley Rectory with Rachel and the boys.
David’s working days are Monday – Wednesday and services on a Sunday
David will be on holiday from Monday 17th August to Saturday 5th September
Cool Church
If you are looking for shelter from the heat this summer, our churches are all open between 9am and 5pm and are all cool for sitting and relaxing.
St John’s, Itchen Abbas also has space for you to bring your children to relax and we will leave the kitchen open for cold drinks and so you can access the bathroom.
If you need any further information don’t hesitate to ask.
for global peace
for those who are ill or suffering at the moment or for those recently bereaved
for Robert and Tabitha as they are married at St Mary’s, Avington. this weekend
for David, Rachel and the boys as they settle into the Rectory and their life in the Parish
for families during the school holidays
for Cameo – the organisers, helpers and guests
The readings for Parish Communion can be read here.
Please check our website in case of
any unexpected changes:
http://www.itchenvalleychurches.org
You must be logged in to post a comment.