In a Dry and Weary Land

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O God, You are my God;

Early will I seek You;

My soul thirsts for You;

My flesh longs for You

In a dry and thirsty land

Where there is no water.

- Psalm 63:1

April comes to an end today. 

Without having second thoughts, I name this month, In a Dry and Weary Land.

The past weeks have been terribly dry and hot. 

From mid-March to mid-April, I was in Manila to be with my daughter while her maid was on vacation. Part of my daily domestic routine was to water the gardens around our home. It still rained a little bit during the last few days of March, but as soon as April arrived, the rains stopped, and the scorching heat during the daytime began. Therefore, watering the plants every morning and evening was a must.

My philosophy about gardens, both in our Manila and Bacolod homes, is to keep them well watered and well looked after. The purpose of a garden is to give joy and delight. What then is the use of having a garden if it will only be neglected?

I returned to my Bacolod City home on the 17th of this month. The first thing I noticed when I walked in through the front gate was that my plants were not only overgrown, they were also crying out for rain.

It was nearly 10 o'clock p.m. when I put down my pruning shears. Even though I had taken the dawn flight, I suppose the adrenaline surge kept me from feeling tired, despite the fact that it had been a rather long day for me. I surveyed my garden under the bright light of the street lamp post, and I was satisfied with what I had accomplished that evening.

The next morning, before the sun was up, I was back in the garden drenching the grass and every square inch of soil in the plant boxes and pots. I could almost hear the roots slurping up the moisture they badly needed.

And so for the past weeks, it seems that all I ever did each day was to water the plants.

The water supply in our city has been affected by the intense summer heat. Each morning I had to make sure I was up before 4 o'clock while the water pressure was still strong. By 6 a.m., there would be no more water coming from the faucets. Water service would return only in the evening. So at 9 p.m., I would once again be out in the garden, watering my plants.

This is not a complaint, not at all.

I love tending my garden . To see the yellowed leaves slowly turning green again, and tiny fresh shoots and buds coming out of the stems, brings so much joy to my heart.

But it has not been easy battling the heat and the dryness all around.

It has been arduous, tedious, and time consuming. Tending one's garden in the peak summer months requires passion, commitment, and dedication... and makes me all too aware of the fallen status of nature.

There is an unseen enemy that puts my best efforts to naught.

First the natural, then the spiritual. (1 Corinthians 15:46)

I have sensed these days that my spiritual well-being is also very much affected by the dry spell.

Because I have to be out in the garden very early in the morning, my usual devotional time in my prayer room has been cut short.

The dryness has crept into my spiritual life.

And just like the plants crying out for much needed moisture, so is the garden of my heart longing for the outpouring of spiritual rain.

I spend time in worship... 

read and listen to God's word...

pray...

But because they have been done sporadically, it doesn't seem to satisfy me.

My thirst remains unquenched.

My heart longs for something more. 

What my spirit needs is a good, long, spiritual soaking.

In His presence.


It is in times like this that more than ever my heart recognizes the All-Sufficiency of my Abba Father.

No wonder His name is Yahweh, the great I Am. He is my All in All, and my whole being longs for Him, cries out for Him, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

April, thank you... for pointing me in the direction of my deep need of Living Water. Each month has a special message for me. This month you tell me... my hope is in God alone... my refreshing and my nourishment is in God alone.


Father, my Abba Avinu, You are everything I need. You are all I want. You are always more than enough for me. I long for You, and cry out for Your refreshing rains upon the dry and weary garden of my soul.

This song is the prayer of my heart for this month. 

Indeed, Father, in a dry and weary land, You are the Rain.



Always Enough
by Casting Crowns

In a dry and weary land
Lord You are the rain.
In a sea of shattered ones.
Your love comes rushing in

You hold the world within Your hands
And see each tear that falls
Through every fire and every storm
You're always enough, always enough

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow
Hope for the orphan
Strength for the weak
Your love is the anthem of nations
Rings out through the ages
Lord You're always enough for me.

You keep my heart in perfect peace
My life is in Your hands
When confusion hides my way
You're always enough, always enough

I rejoice for my Savior reigns
I rejoice for He lives in me
God on high, He has set me free
And worthy is the Lord

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow
Hope for the orphan
Strength for the weak
Your love is the anthem of nations
Rings out through the ages
And You're always enough for me

In a dry and weary land
Lord You are the rain