Bible Study Guide for Sunday, February 13, 2022

• Jeremiah 17:5-10
• Psalm 1
• 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
• Luke 6:17-26

 

 

The Old Testament reading and the psalm selection connect quite neatly with each other this week. Both emphasize the importance of carefully selecting who or what you put your trust in. Both also use imagery of drought, flowing water, and fruitfulness. The mention of drought stuck out to me as I read these passages.

I grew up in Colorado on the Front Range, and my family spent a lot of time in the Four Corners region of the desert Southwest throughout my childhood. We also often visited my maternal grandparents in north-central Nebraska: the Sandhills, beautiful farming and ranching country. These are all places where the specter of drought looms. I remember many dry summers in Colorado where we kept a bucket in the kitchen sink and another in the shower to catch all the graywater we could, so Mom could try to keep the garden and trees alive without breaking the water restrictions in effect. A dry summer in Nebraska could make or break a farmer’s livelihood. On a larger scale, the water politics of Utah and the Mountain West affect the lives of millions throughout the region. As Jeremiah suggests, in a year of drought, everyone is anxious. Will our garden grow? Will our crops survive? Will we make it?

This idea of drought has also applied to my spiritual life at times over the years. At some point, I try to pray or attend church and find … nothing. It just doesn’t speak to me, or I don’t feel any divine presence. When I realize this, doubts creep in and I wonder if I’ll ever feel the presence of God again. It feels spiritually deadening, like a tree I had once cared for has shriveled up and died. In these times I tend to stick to routines somewhat mindlessly; I’ll still go to church and make attempts at praying, out of habit or the hope that I’ll start feeling some meaning again. Over time, maybe weeks or months, the meaning will start seeping back in. I think this is because of where I’ve planted my spiritual “tree” before the dry period hit. Regularly attending church, praying often, talking with friends inside and outside church about Christianity and spirituality – these keep my roots strong and growing deep. When a drought comes, I may feel unmoored and lost. But I am planted near the Living Water of Jesus and the church. I can draw on deep roots to eventually, with patience, come back to vitality and bear fruit once more.

– Lindy Noecker

A tree growing in a dry climate will grow very deep roots to reach for as much water in the soil as possible. Do you feel like you have deep spiritual roots? If so, what fed and helped grow your roots? If not, what do you think might help you grow deeper?

Have you been through a time of spiritual drought? What helped you through it? (If you’re in one right now, perhaps your fellow Bible study members can pray for you.)