Most of us have experienced joy and elation when we worship God at South and possibly at a Christian concert.  We were made for worship.  We might have a strong “worthship” in the Broncos, Av’s or Nuggets or your college teams.  Winning means a lot to you if you love sports.  We might worship giftedness in others:  like artists, singers, musicians, dancers, or athletes.  Remember going to a concert or production and finding like-minded people totally absorbed in the expressions of artistry or beauty.  That was an expression of corporate worship, reveling in a shared experience.  On the 4th of July, we revel in our collective oohs and aahs for the best, largest or loudest fireworks (or maybe even in our country’s collective values). 

If we have known the Lord for a long time, we know that we have much to worship Him for,  voicing our delight in His character:  things like omnipotence, grace, acceptance, infinite wisdom, steadfastness, forgiveness, patience, and let’s not forget the beauty and variety of His creation.  Sometimes we get into a dry place, seemingly not appreciating God’s attributes and sensing very little if any connection to Him.  Is something wrong if you are sad and downcast?  Maybe, maybe not.  God allows us to experience contrast so we can grow in His character.  He never changes.  He is steadfast, many times being referred to by the Psalmist, “A Strong Tower”.  Jesus said “…. I am with you always, to the very end of the age”, in Matthew 28:20, as part of his Great Commission.  Similarly:  Deuteronomy 31:8; John 14:18; Hebrews 13:5.

With God being both omnipresent and unchanging, when we feel dryness in our relationship, you might still be faithful and not experience God in any warm, emotional way for an extended period.  Psalm 42 is a Psalm where David was far away from Jerusalem and he expressed his hunger and thirst:

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God?  My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”  Psalm 42:1-3


We might experience dryness, and on top of that, ridicule for hoping in God.  Biblically literate people are now very much the minority.  But we can say with David at the end of this Psalm “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.”  Psalm 42:11.

Romans 12:2 says “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is; his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  This is what Ezra was doing when he read the words of God’s covenant to the Israelites who had been exiled in Babylon.  He was renewing their mind with God’s word.  They needed this reminder, and we need it repeatedly since we get a healthy dose of “rubbish” in  everyday living in the world. 


So what keeps us from returning to God and His word regularly? 

  1.  I already know the Bible – That is minimalistic.  Yes, we can know or even memorize large portions of scripture, yet God himself is infinite, and He wants us to know Him more and more.  By the way “knowledge puffs up” as stated in 1 Corinthians 8:1.
  2. I have unconfessed sin in my life and I do not want to be a hypocrite.  Abraham, considered the Father of our faith, had major failings.  Romans 5:8 states: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
  3. It doesn’t seem to make a difference.  You may be right.  If you don’t dig into God’s word regularly, you won’t become more like Christ, and you might be a miserable Christian.  Galatians 6:7 states “… for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap”.
  4.  I used to do a daily devotion, and it got so I was just going through the motions.  It really became very dry and lifeless.  It might be good to mix things up.  There is an absolute multitude of resources to use.  One that helped me was 31 days of Praise by Ruth Myers.  If reading feels dry, it is really helpful to simply focus on praising Him.  Your hunger will grow and give you new life.  David did this, and he had a lot going for him.  So many Psalms progress from languishing pleas to praise.
  5. I tried God and it did not work.  I simply like hanging around the church, mostly due to friendships and connections.  There are so many stories in the Bible about longsuffering.  God Himself is longsuffering.  We have an opportunity to be like Him.  Think of Joseph in prison after wrongly being accused by Pharoah.  Romans 8:18 states Paul’s stance of his “suffering at this present time as not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us”.
  6. How could the Bible be true?  Isn’t it an antiquated book intended for former generations?  If this is your stance, I am sure you could have coffee with one of the staff or leaders.  I have found all of them to be quite ready to dialogue on such things. 


Takeaway – If you are in any of these categories, feel free to reach out to a Brother or Sister or staff member to help you find more life in reading scripture. 


John Colvin