Our landlord planted an evergreen shrub at the corner of our house a few months ago. It seemed to do quite well at first, thanks to the abundance of rain we received in the early part of summer. However, last month was the driest August on record in Indiana, and our poor little bush was showing the effects. The shrub is now getting some extra water, and hopefully it will start greening up soon.

Sometimes our devotional lives are well-watered. Every sermon, lesson, private study and prayer time soaks right in, and we flourish spiritually. Then, often without warning, a drought sets in. Before we realize it, we become spiritually dry. It is in times like this that we need to be more intentional about seeking the presence of the Lord. We need to pray like the Psalmist—“I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.” (Psalm 143:6).

You aren’t a little brown around the edges, are you?