Take a moment and picture a desert. Think of the sand, the rocks, the hazy heat on the horizon. As you paint your mental picture, do you see anything living or green? Maybe you see a lizard or a little withered plant, but probably nothing like a lush forest or grassy plain full of animals and signs of life.

That desert you just pictured is what our souls look like without Jesus. Sandy, rocky, empty. Cracked and dry, our souls long for a river or wellspring that will restore them and make them thrive and grow. We cannot restore our own souls, but our Heavenly Father and Creator knows us inside and out, and He can provide us the peace and healing that we long for.

Yesterday, we read John 7:37-39 during our devotional time:

“On the last day of festival, the great final celebration, Jesus stood up and shouted out, ‘If anybody’s thirsty, they should come to me and have a drink! Anyone who believes in me will have rivers of living water flowing out of their hearts, just like the Bible says!’ He said this about the spirit, which people who believed in him were to receive. The spirit wasn’t available yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

The Lord was so present during this time yesterday, as He spoke the same message to all of us at the table: “We can’t restore or fix ourselves or anything else, only God can.”

We humans desire to fix and control everything in our lives, but in the world of foster care it seems so much more prevalent. There is a multitude of children who desperately need us adults to advocate on their behalf. To ensure that they have a safe, loving home. To do whatever possible to help them heal from trauma. To protect them from ever coming to harm again. 

What a burden for foster parents, social workers, and legal representatives to bear alone.

But we don’t have to advocate alone because the Lord gave us living water to restore our souls! He sent His only son to die for us, and then He sent the Holy Spirit to live inside us here during our daily battles on earth. 

As we meditated in this truth, the Lord placed on one of our staff members’ hearts this prayer:

“Lord, remind us that you are a wellspring in the barren places; a comfort through the night. When we face problems by the hour and by the minute, you are there with us in the trenches. Continue to teach us how to let go and allow You to restore our souls from the barren places.”

Parents, workers, and whoever else is connected to a child in care, we pray that this week and always you hold close to your heart that the Lord is your wellspring and He will restore your soul from the barren place!