When the Flame Flickers: Faithfulness When the Bible Feels Flat

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout…so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty.”— Isaiah 55:10–11

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him…”— Psalm 42:5

There will come a season, if it hasn’t already, when the Bible doesn’t move you.

You’ll open the pages expecting fire, and find only smoke.

You’ll read words you once cherished, and feel nothing.

You’ll ask God to speak, and be met with silence.

It’s tempting in that space to assume something’s broken or wrong. But what if this kind of dryness isn’t a failure? What if it’s formation?

What if it’s not punishment, but invitation?

A Deeper Reality

Spiritual dryness is not a sign that God has left.

It’s often a sign He’s doing something deeper.

We want Scripture to be immediately useful. We want direction, clarity, fire. But sometimes the Word of God isn’t meant to stir emotion. Sometimes it’s meant to confront our emptiness, to quiet our urgency, to uncover what’s really shaping us beneath the surface.

Faithfulness is formed when we stay at the fire, even when it flickers.

Because here’s the truth:

God isn’t always trying to comfort you with Scripture.

Sometimes He’s trying to crack you open.

Formational Practice: Let the Word Do Its Work

This week, don’t reach for the verse of the day.

Don’t flip to your favorite book. Don’t try to “feel” something holy.

Instead read Psalm 119. All of it. Slowly. In one sitting.

Let it feel repetitive. Let it feel long. Let it feel like a grind.

That’s the point.

Psalm 119 is a heart cry from someone obsessed with God’s Word and it’s 176 verses long. A chorus of desire. A flood of confession. A liturgy of longing.

After reading, sit in silence for 20 minutes.

• No journaling.

• No asking for insight.

• No quoting your favorite verse.

• No trying to make it productive.

Just sit. With the text. With God. With yourself.

Afterward: How did it feel to sit with the Lord without needing anything from Him?

You might notice restlessness.

You might feel like you wasted your time.

You might be surprised by peace.

You might feel nothing.

But here’s the thing: you showed up!

And that is spiritual formation.

Formation doesn’t always shout. Sometimes it just waits.

God is shaping something in the silence that can’t be formed by speed, striving, or a highlighted Bible. He’s forming patience. Depth. Hunger. Trust.

Because this isn’t about how you feel about Scripture.

It’s about how you stay with it, especially when it feels like nothing is happening.

That’s where roots go deep.

That’s where the fire learns to burn again.