The Sufficiency of Christ when Life is Dry

And he [Samson] was very thirsty, and he called upon the Lord and said, “You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” Judges 15:18

Many times, when God has strengthened us and given us a victory, we will soon find ourselves confounded by our weakness. That is why this passage about Samson is so encouraging. Here is a man who, by the strength of God, defeated many of the enemies of Israel and then, moments later, finds himself about to die from the lack of something as simple as water.

When God gives us victory in doing His work, it is easy to see ourselves as stronger than we are. So, the Lord often allows situations to arise that keep us dependent upon Him. We often thank the Lord for His grace in times of triumph, but how often do we forget to thank Him for our times of defeat? If all things work for the good of those who love Him, then grace comes in many forms. It comes in strength, but it also comes in weakness.

When we are on top, it is easy to begin to think that this is where true life and happiness are to be found. We start to crave more of it. Success breeds the desire for more success. If God does not show us our weaknesses, we begin to think that earthly attainment is what we need to be happy. We start to believe that this is what life is about, and without it, contentment starts to disappear.

In weakness, Christ calls out to us and says, “do not find your joy in the good or the bad times; find it in me. I am your salvation.” Experiencing weakness has a way of shaking from our hands many of the earthly things we think we need because, through grace, it causes us to set our eyes on eternity by realizing this world is not our home.

I remember one beautiful summer night years ago; we had a barbeque with the family. Everything was perfect. It was one of those times when you are usually at peak enjoyment, but that night, I was miserable. I had been suffering from a chronic illness for some time. I did not know if I would ever have enjoyment again, but I remember at that moment, a thought came to me about finding my sufficiency in Christ. It did not matter if, through suffering, I would ever enjoy another moment of this life. I have Christ! What else do I need? Our real victory is not found in the conditions of this world, even if our accomplishments are Godly. Our victory is found in Christ alone.

When the Lord opens up the hollow place, like he did when he gave Samson water, and the truth of Christ’s sufficiency begins to run toward us, we find ourselves revived even when the land is still parched.

D. Eaton