I ask God to use the time of spiritual dryness to prepare me for future growth. Jesus hints at such a process in his analogy of the vine: "Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." As any vintner or rose-grower knows, the act of lopping off lush branches, which at first seems cruel and destructive, actually causes the pruned shoots to grow back more productive than ever. A vintner explained to me that he refuses to irrigate because the stress caused by occasional drought produces the best, most tasty grapes. Seasons of dryness make the roots run deep, strengthening the vine for whatever the future holds.
-Philip Yancey in PRAYER Does It Make Any Difference?, p.203-204.
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