May dew was thought to have special properties – girls who bathed in it were thought to have beautiful complexions; people would go out of their way to walk barefoot or roll in it; men who washed their hands in it were thought to become good at tying knots and making nets. Mothers would wrap their sick children in clothes soaked in it – it was thought to be healing and bring blessing.
So, what exactly is dew? It forms when water vapour in the atmosphere condenses onto cool surfaces. In natural environments, dew typically forms on grass and leaves overnight, often when days are warm and nights are cool. When the sun goes down, air and surfaces heated up by solar radiation during the day begin to cool. Cooler air can’t hold as much water vapour as warmer air; as the temperature drops, the rate of condensation exceeds the rate of evaporation and water droplets form. The temperature at which this occurs is known as the dew point. However, dew frequency depends on a number of variables, including air temperature, relative humidity, surface temperatures and wind speed. Conditions have to be just right or dew will not form.
As temperatures warm and precipitation patterns vary in many regions due to climate change, dew could play an increasingly important role in ecosystems. If drought frequency and intensity increases, dew may help some species survive.
Dew reduces water stress in plants by reducing transpiration. It forms a protective barrier on the leaf preventing transpiration until it evaporates. So the plant retains more moisture making it more resilient.
As dew evaporates, it cools the plant down, reducing heat stress. Some desert plants can actually absorb water directly through their leaves, for them dew is a direct source of hydration.
Dew may also play an important role in seed germination. High dew levels in grasslands can provide the moisture needed for different types of seeds to germinate.
So why am I telling you all this? Well in Hosea 14:5 God says ‘I will be like the dew to Israel’ Israel in this context means ‘His people’ so God is saying that He is like dew for his people (those who love Him). He reduces stress by being a protective barrier, stopping the leakage of joy and other Spirit given gifts even the indwelling Living Water of Christ, making us more resilient in the heat of life’s troubles. He cools us down, reducing our stress and topping us up with His love and peace.
Then He helps us to grow and multiply in grace but also helps us spread His Kingdom to those around us.
May we roll in the dew of God this month and enjoy His healing and restoration.