There are moments in my life when I am overwhelmed by how blessed I am. I look at my wife. I look at my daughters. I look at the life God has entrusted to me and I am absolutely filled inside. I know I am blessed.

But I would be less than honest if I did not admit that there are times when I feel empty.

No energy. No spiritual momentum. No real joy.

The blessings are still there, but my awareness of them feels dim.

Maybe you’ve felt that too. If you have, I want you to know something very important:

Feeling spiritually dry does not mean you are spiritually dead. And it doesn’t mean Jesus is not with you at that very moment.

Feeling empty does not mean God has left you. God still has a plan for us, and sometimes that plan includes a desert. 

We don’t always understand why God allows certain seasons. When life is steady and comfortable, we thank Him and then we often move forward with our plans. Subtly, almost without noticing, we begin to rely on ourselves again. 

But sometimes God allows a desert. Not to harm us, not to shame us, but to straighten us.

The desert reminds us that we are not self-sustaining. It reveals how much we need Him. Not just for blessings, but for breath, clarity, direction, and peace.

In good seasons, we thank God for what He gives. In desert seasons, we learn to seek God for who He is. And there is a difference.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth.” Salt preserves. Salt enhances flavor. Salt creates thirst.

In biblical times, salt kept food from decaying. It protected what would otherwise spoil. As followers of Christ, we are called to do the same in this fallen world. Not through loud arguments or harsh words, but through faithful living. Through integrity. Through kindness. Through obedience.

We are meant to bring a distinct, Christ-centered presence wherever we go. But here is the question: What good is a box of salt if it stays sealed?

Salt in the cabinet does nothing. Salt that is never poured out changes nothing. In the same way, faith that stays hidden never seasons the world.

Jesus also warned that salt can lose its saltiness. Salt in His day was often mixed with impurities. If it absorbed moisture, the valuable part would leach out, leaving behind something that looked like salt, but had no flavor or power.

That can happen spiritually.

When we drift from prayer, we lose power. When we neglect Scripture, we lose power. When culture shapes us more than Christ does, we lose power. When we serve outwardly but stop sitting at His feet, we lose power. We may still look like Christians and may talk like Christians, but the strength and the distinctiveness begins to fade.

Take heart. Sometimes that empty feeling is not punishment. It is an invitation to return, to refocus, and to reconnect. 

There’s no light coming from a bulb that isn’t plugged in. It must continually be connected to the source of its power.same goes for you and I. Even Jesus withdrew to pray. We see it in Luke chapter 5, for instance. And if the Son of God needed time alone with the Father, how much more do we?

You cannot give what you do not possess. We cannot pour out what we are not continually receiving.

The world does not need louder Christians, it needs faithful ones. Men and women who stay close to Christ in private so they can represent Him well in public.

When you stay connected to Jesus, you won’t remain in the box. You will season your home. You will season your workplace. You will season your community.

Even when I personally feel empty, I know this: I am blessed. And the One who called me salt is faithful to keep shaping me into what He designed me to be.

Stay close to Jesus, our source. And don’t keep your box sealed.

God’s blessings to you.

DH