Blessing A Barren Life

Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; Lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs. (Isaiah 54:2)

I often tell folks that one of my goals in life is to move all of my belongings in the back of a pick up truck in not only one afternoon, but all in one load! My wife says I'm living in a dream world. I tend to agree. Even after our last move into a more spacious house, it seems that our space is filled to capacity. If we keep growing, we'll have to move again. So maybe we can squeeze in a little more. I'm not ready for the change.
There are people around us everyday that have struggled for many years to find meaning in their lives. Their pursuit has not always been fruitful and painful trials along the way have been their lot. Sometimes it seems that their whole lives have been spent in a wasteland. A life of barrenness, absent of life and empty of blessing.
In times of barrenness, God may be preparing us to handle His blessings. Our text talks of times of change for Israel. Sometimes they would pray for a change in their situation and had trouble handling the change when it came. So do we. But God is a God of change. He wants His people to prepare for it.
THE BLESSING OF A BARREN LIFE BRINGS ABOUT NEW REALITIES.

I. WHEN GOD BLESSES A BARREN LIFE, LIVING ROOMS MUST BE LARGER. The spiritual house must be bigger because of the larger presence of the Spirit of God. Life with God is not just another activity on our agendas. Life with God should be the focal point of living. Larger rooms are needed for abundant living!!!
II. WHEN GOD BLESSES A BARREN LIFE, LIVES ARE STRETCHED OUT OF SHAPE. Like a comfortable piece of clothing that fits our shape, our life will be stretched beyond our capacity for comfort. It will take on a new shape, different from the one that has fit us for so long. A new way of thinking will challenge us to change. A blessed life is all about adapting to change. We will be stretched to trust God.
III. WHEN GOD BLESSES A BARREN LIFE, LIFELINES MUST BE LENGTHENED. Our connection to God must not be broken in the process of stretching. It must take on a deeper dimension. Our prayer life must be expanded to a continuous conversation with the One who sustains us. We learn to pray at all times.
IV. WHEN GOD BLESSES A BARREN LIFE, FOUNDATIONS MUST BE FIRMLY FIXED. Through it all, our foundation must be revisited and secured. Our tent pegs must be tightened. Our roots should grow deeper into the source of our strength. We drive our stakes deeper and more securely as we spend intimate time with God in His word. We are subject to take God for granted in times of blessing. Our gratitude to God for blessing our barrenness should be our first step of strengthening for the next wind that blows through our lives. Surviving the storms give us a story to tell.