I was sitting across the table from him and my soul was stirred to share the gospel with him. I began to unfold the wonders of God’s love for sinners like us and the glories of gospel promises for those who would repent of their sin and trust wholeheartedly in Jesus as Savior and Lord. The man I was speaking with had sat back in his chair, tilting his head back a bit. Then right in the midst of this unfolding there came from across the table something that has since struck me. The man I was speaking with tilted his back and yawned as I gave my gospel appeal to him.

At the time, while I did notice his yawn, I didn’t stop to think much of it. However, this morning as I was meeting with the Lord and reading scripture it came back to my mind. It strikes me that my friend’s yawn, while likely innocent enough in and of itself (no doubt I’ve yawned many times at inopportune moments), represents the collective response to the gospel of a world drunk with entertainment and endless activities.

It just strikes me as sad that so many people aren’t awe-struck by the love of God through the sacrifice of Christ for our sin. It strikes me as incredibly odd that we would come upon the empty tomb, where the body of Jesus was laid after his crucifixion, and that we would peer inside and find the tomb empty and upon seeing this emptiness and beholding the wonder of the resurrection power of Christ, that we would simply let out a giant yawn and keep going on our way. Wouldn’t that be baffling!? Yet that’s what I did many times for 19 years upon hearing the gospel. This is what the vast majority of people do upon hearing the gospel each day. The collective yawn of our culture towards the depths and the riches of God’s love and mercy for us is a witness against us.

Oh, might the Lord awaken us to the deeper realities of our brokenness, so that we might be forgiven and healed and in right relationship with Him! Oh, that those of us in the church, who have tasted and seen the goodness of God in the land of the living, would come away from the entertainment of this world long enough to belly up to the feast of the Lord and refresh our taste of the wonders of His love so that we won’t give our yawning agreement with the world at the wonders of Christ’s loving sacrifice! It’s true that the believer’s soul can grow dry towards the gospel glories that once thrilled our hearts. I know that in my own life I have to fight against spiritual dryness in my soul. I just assume that I’m not the only one.

Where are you today? Have you ever tasted the sweet richness of Christ’s love and received for yourself the salvation that’s offered in Him? Did those sweet gospel riches ever thrill your soul? If not, why not receive Christ now by repenting of your sin and trusting completely in Christ alone for your salvation?

Maybe you know the Lord but you’re in a season of spiritual dryness…your soul has slidden into a desert season and you’ve lost the sense of awe and wonder when it comes to God’s love for you as demonstrated in the gospel. Would you ask the Lord to refresh your soul today? Simply cry out to Him. If you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you and fall like refreshing rain upon your heart. Spend a little time reflecting on the following verses and cry out for the Lord to send His refreshing waters to sweep away your yawns and stir your soul. Lord bless you today.

“May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭32:2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.””
‭‭Hosea‬ ‭6:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭78:15-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“”Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the Lord have created it.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭45:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭44:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬