If you've been a Christian for any length of time, you've likely experienced seasons when God seems distant. Prayer feels empty, Scripture reading becomes a chore, and worship lacks its former spark. Many of us panic when this happens, assuming we've done something wrong or lost our faith. But what if this spiritual dryness is not a failure, but a gift?
In their book When God Seems Distant, theologians Kyle Strobel and John Coe argue that periods of desolation are essential for spiritual growth. They write, "The desert is where God is testing us to show us what is in our hearts and to call us to him. This is a gift." While we naturally want to escape the desert, God uses it to wean us from spiritual milk and prepare us for solid food.
What Spiritual Dryness Reveals About Us
Spiritual dryness strips away our illusions. When everything is going well, it's easy to feel close to God. But when the feelings fade, we see what's really in our hearts. Do we love God for who He is, or only for the good feelings He gives? The psalmist understood this struggle: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10, ESV).
Strobel and Coe explain that desolation "reveals that our goodness—the virtues we have cultivated and the fruit we see in our life—is veined with vice as well." In other words, our apparent maturity often hides pride, self-reliance, or a need for control. The desert exposes these hidden sins, giving us an opportunity to repent and grow.
Why God Allows the Desert
Throughout Scripture, God leads His people into wilderness experiences. Israel wandered forty years in the desert, not as punishment but as preparation. Jesus Himself was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (Matthew 4:1). These seasons are not accidents; they are appointments with grace.
The prophet Hosea describes God's purpose: "Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them... Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now'" (Hosea 2:6-7, ESV). God sometimes allows frustration and dryness to draw us back to Himself.
How to Navigate Spiritual Dryness
So what do we do when God feels distant? Here are practical steps grounded in Scripture and Christian tradition.
1. Acknowledge Your Feelings Honestly
Don't pretend everything is fine. The Psalms are filled with honest laments: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1, ESV). God can handle our questions and doubts. Bring your raw emotions to Him in prayer.
2. Stay Faithful in Spiritual Disciplines
Even when you don't feel like it, keep reading Scripture, praying, and gathering with other believers. These practices are like anchors in the storm. As Hebrews 10:23-24 encourages, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering... and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works" (ESV).
3. Look for God in the Ordinary
Sometimes we miss God because we're looking for dramatic encounters. But He often speaks in a "low whisper" (1 Kings 19:12, ESV). Pay attention to small blessings, kind words from friends, or the beauty of creation. These can be gentle reminders of His presence.
4. Seek Wise Counsel
Don't isolate yourself. Talk to a trusted pastor, mentor, or Christian friend. They can offer perspective and prayer. "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14, ESV).
The Purpose of the Desert
Spiritual dryness is not a sign that God has abandoned you. On the contrary, it is often a sign that He is doing a deep work in your soul. The desert strips away our dependence on feelings and circumstances, teaching us to trust God for who He is, not just for what He gives.
As C.S. Lewis wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." The pain of spiritual dryness can be God's way of getting our attention, calling us to a deeper, more mature faith.
Remember that even Jesus experienced a sense of abandonment on the cross. Yet He trusted the Father through it all. Because of His work, we can be confident that nothing—not even our own spiritual dryness—can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39).
Reflection Questions
- When have you experienced a season of spiritual dryness? How did you respond?
- What might God be trying to teach you during this current season?
- How can you reach out to someone else who might be feeling spiritually dry?
Take a moment to pray: Lord, even when I cannot feel You, help me to trust that You are near. Use this dry season to deepen my faith and draw me closer to You. Amen.
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