Living Water in the Desert of Weariness

I need to be honest with you all… This week I have struggled with feeling weary. I have had opportunities to encourage people, spend time with the Lord, and was encouraged by my family over dinner this week. God keeps reminding me that while I am waiting for my health to get better he’s still working. but I can’t seem to shake this deep sense of weariness hanging over my spirit.

The Lord has been having me work through the book of Judges over the past few weeks, which brought me to Judges 15 today reviewing the part of Samson’s story where he was weary.

Samson had just experienced one of his greatest victories. Armed with nothing more than the jawbone of a donkey, he struck down a thousand Philistines. It was a supernatural act of strength, yet what follows immediately after is striking:

“Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the Lord, ‘You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?’ Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned, and he revived.” (Judges 15:18–19)

Victory Through Weakness

How quickly triumph can turn into desperation. One moment Samson is unstoppable, the next he is collapsing in thirst. Isn’t that true for us as well? We may fight through a trial, accomplish something we never thought possible, or see God’s hand powerfully at work... yet afterward, our humanity catches up. Weariness sets in. Thirst reminds us of our limits.

Victory doesn’t erase our dependence on God. In fact, it often exposes it

Crying Out in Dependence

Samson does the right thing... he cries out to God. Notice his prayer: he acknowledges God as the source of the victory (“You have given your servant this great victory”) but also voices his desperate need. Sometimes we hesitate to bring our weariness to God, as though our struggles disqualify us. Yet here, Samson models honest dependence.

It wasn’t Samson’s jawbone that brought the victory; it was God. And it wasn’t Samson’s own resources that would quench his thirst; again, it would be God.

God’s Provision in the Hollow Place

The text says God opened a “hollow place in Lehi” and water flowed out. What a picture! Refreshment came from a place that was empty, unexpected, and seemingly barren. God specializes in bringing life from hollowness... whether that’s a rock in the wilderness for Israel, a manger in Bethlehem, or an empty tomb outside Jerusalem.

When you feel dried out and weary, God can cause living water to flow from the very places that look hollow in your life.

Revived to Keep Going

The story ends with Samson’s strength returning. He drank, and he revived. That’s what God’s provision does… it doesn’t just quench the momentary thirst, it restores us for the journey ahead. Jesus echoes this when He says:

“Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

Our victories, our weariness, and our revivals all point us to the ultimate Living Water found in Christ.

I love the fact that, after Samson drank the water and was revived, he named the place “The Spring of the One Who Cried Out.” That’s the key… That’s where it all starts… Crying out to God in your time of weariness.

He already knows how you feel. He alone is the one who brings refreshment during the weary times in your life.

As I sit here this morning, I want to thank you Lord for turning my weariness into joy as you refresh my soul.  

The joy of the Lord is my strength… (Nehemiah 8:10)