Here in Northwest Arkansas, it’s been a hot, dry August. I can’t remember the last time it rained.

In the midst of the 100+ degree heat, my son started 9th grade football practice. The head coach does a great job of stressing the need to stay hydrated. I hear him remind the team after almost every practice that they must be responsible for their bodies–for eating properly and for drinking enough fluids while at home. He also makes sure they get enough to drink during practice.

It’s such a contrast to when I played football growing up in New Jersey. I remember hearing coaches yell, “Get away from the water!” Back in the ’70’s, water was more of a distraction than a life-saver.

Yesterday, when I went to pick my son up from practice, I noticed a green patch of grass on the hill next to the practice field. Here’s the picture:

After several weeks without rain, the grass is burning up…except for that one patch. It has stayed green because of the run off from a hose that supplies drinking water for the football team. That patch of grass enjoys several hours of water each day.

Do you ever wonder about the condition of your spirit? Do you think it would look healthy like the well-watered grass? Or would it be dried out, parched, dying of thirst?

The real you is not just that body you walk around in. Primarily, you are a spiritual being. If it was possible to peer inside and look at our spirits, what would we find? How would yours be doing?

Our spirits are watered when we invest time with God and soak in His word, the Bible. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”

Jesus was once having a discussion with a Samaritan woman and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

A few sips of water during a football practice in hot weather isn’t enough to keep you alive. Running the sprinkler for a few minutes every week won’t save your lawn. Not in this heat. And occasionally reading the Bible or relying on whatever you get from a sermon isn’t enough to water and nourish your spirit.

I wonder what would happen if we were to be as well-watered as that grass. Would some of the obstacles we face no longer appear to be so big? Would God give us the wisdom we need to deal with the difficulties in our lives? Might He even give us an idea that could provide the breakthrough we’re seeking?

A healthy spirit, one that has soaked in God’s word, will desire and delight in God, in His will and His ways. If that doesn’t necessarily describe you, then maybe it’s time to turn on the sprinkler. Crank that valve wide open. Saturate your spirit in the Word of God.

He’s got the answers you seek. He’s got the power you need. He’s got the peace and joy for you to face the day.