Drought - Its Cause & Cure

v. Times when we’d wake up every morning & God would seem so near & real.

vi. But now we wake up every morning & God seems so far & distant from us – why? What has changed everything?

vii. These are the effects of spiritual drought!

b. The effects on our lives is so adequately captured by the Scriptures when it says ....

Leviticus 26:19 (NKJV) 19 ...... I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.

i. One of the perishing signs of a born again believer is that you go through the ritual of r/s w/o enjoying the blessings of r/s.

ii. This is contrary to what God promises to us as His people!

Joel 2:23-24 (NKJV) 23 ........ rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. 24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.

iii. This isn’t just an image of agriculture ..... it’s an image of the blessings of our r/s w/ the Lord!

B. A drought of hearing from God.

a. When spiritual drought takes over what happens is that people cease to hear from God.

i. Instead of the spiritual showers of God’s presence & His word showering our lives we no longer hear the voice of God.

ii. This is what God promised the people in the days of the prophet Amos ....

Amos 8:11 (NKJV) 11“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD.

b. Think about that ..... a famine of hearing the words of God!

i. You can be sitting in the same service where others are hearing from God / being fed / refreshed blessed ..... but famine is stopping you from hearing from God!

ii. If you read your Bible & don’t find y/s being fed ..... you’re probably experiencing famine.

iii. Think about it! When was the last time you heard from God? When was the last time His word laid a hold of your heart?

iv. When God’s people aren’t hearing from God it can be b/c of a spiritual drought in their lives.

v. T.B.S. when Saul wanted to hear from God he couldn’t – why? B/c spiritual drought had taken a hold of his life.

1 Samuel 14:37 (NKJV) 37So Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But He did not answer him that day.

vi. The frightening thing church is that this can be the pict of our lives too if we allow spiritual drought to rule our lives.

C. A drought of God’s favour upon our lives.

a. Our text is a solemn warning from God to His people & to Solomon the king saying – I will withdraw My favour from your lives!

i. We see firstly that Solomon is enjoying a place of favour w/ God.

Vs 12. 12Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.