Spiritual Thirst

Physical thirst is caused by our pituitary gland when it secretes two hormones - one signaling our kidneys and one to our hypothalamus to alert our salivary glands.

When we desire God as much as we crave water when we are physically thirsty, and we seek Him as much as we seek a drink of water, we shall find Him (Psalm 42:1-2, 143:6).

When Jesus came, He offered us a drink of His living water so that we would thirst no more (John 4:14, 7:37). From the wells of salvation, we can access this living water at any time (Isaiah 12:3).

Humanity goes to broken cisterns to find relief for their spiritual thirst: drugs, alcohol, food, sex and other addictions. These sources provide momentary relief, but have negative consequences and lethal side effects.

God provided a way through Christ for whosoever wills to come to Jesus in order to have their spiritual thirst satiated for eternity. Most people do not realize they are thirsty until they have desensitized their need with the things of this world.

God gives us a clear picture of our soul's thirst by comparing it to a deer that longs for water from the brook (Psalm 42:1-2). Biblical characters exemplify our need to quench our soul's thirst in this weary world in which we live (Psalm 63:1, 143:6).

Our intimacy with God matures as we learn to find our repose in Him, and He supplies our every need through His glorious riches (Ephesians 3:16-19). We hunger and thirst for more of Him, and He fills us to overflowing (Matthew 5:6; Luke 6:38).

Prayer:

Father God, we want to enjoy Your presence in our spirit and soul on a continual basis. You give us health for our body and soul as we drink our fill from the wells of Your salvation (Isaiah 12:3). Draw us to Your presence and fill us with Your Spirit in ever-increasing heights of spirituality and satisfaction in our soul (Psalm 23:4).

Through the examples of the Saints of old, You taught us of the futility of attempting to find solace for our spiritual thirst by seeking fulfillment from things of this world (Ecclesiastes 2:1-12, 12:13). Remind us that there are no works of righteousness, which we can do to satiate our thirst, other than simply coming to Christ for salvation and walking in Your preordained will for our life (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Thought for the Day:

Satiating our thirst will never occur if we simply observe the water and do not drink; we must come to Christ for salvation in order to enjoy the benefits inherent in this decision to partake of His living water.

Hungry and Thirsty

Jesus proclaimed that we are blessed when we hunger and thirst after His holiness, because He shall fill us (Matthew 5:6). We hunger for spiritual meat and drink, rather than spiritual junk food.

Junk food gives us the false impression of being satisfied. We feel full and enjoy the taste; yet it leaves us lacking in essential vitamins and minerals, which our body needs to function.

The same is true spiritually. If we dabble in religion, we get fat and malnourished. Yet, if we respond to the Holy Spirit when He draws us to God, we are filled with His goodness (John 6:44).

When we hunger and thirst for God we find His blessings, peace, joy and love. He gives us His eternal perspective. We live to do only the will of God with our life.

We align our life with His Word and His Spirit, praising Him with unceasing songs, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:17-19). As a city sitting high on a hill, our light cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14).

We are His Body and He works in and through us; continually drawing us to His side and filling us with His spiritual blessings and eternal presence (Ephesians 1:3).

We make a difference in our world, because we do the works of our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16; John 6:29). We see the fruit of our spiritual labors and we rejoice and are humbled to be of service to our King.

Prayer:

Father God, let our life be a shining light into the dark world around us. Help us to avoid sin at all cost and to live as a testimony of Your saving grace in our life. As we love You with all of our heart, remind us to lean on You and not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Remove any pride and rebellion from our life, which hinders us from obeying Your Word. Help us to walk in Your Spirit, to live the Christ life in this world, to follow where You lead us and to rejoice ever more in the center of Your will for each moment of the day (1 Thessalonians 5:16-28).

Thought for the Day:

We can trust in the Lord because we know His name, nature and character and realize that He never forsakes those who seek Him. - Psalm 9:10

My Soul Waits - Filled with God's Fullness

 

God chose us before the foundation of the world to redeem us, to transform us, to give us His divine nature and to use us in the work of His Kingdom (Ephesians 2:10; 2 Peter 1:4).

We no longer deflect His will with hurried lives and busy days. We grow spiritually and come to the place where we surrender our desires and embrace His heart and mind as our own.

We have a continual conversation with God as we share our heart with Him and listen to His answers and directives for our day. God's presence satisfies our longing and fills our hungry soul (Psalm 107:9).

God redefines our plans and leads us in His Truth and everlasting way. He gives us a new name and nature with a heart of compassion and a willingness to do His will (Psalm 43:3; Revelation 2:12; Colossians 3:12).

Our focus switches from our self and our little place in the cosmos and increases to the world around us and the needs of the people involved in our everyday life.

We relinquish our hurt, bitterness, anger, and pride and walk in forgiveness, love and humility instead. This diminishes Satan's hold on our life and increases our fellowship with our Father.

We empty our soul of the cares of this life, having faith in God's faithfulness to work out every detail for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). He fills us with His fullness and we change the world around us - one person at a time (Ephesians 3:16-19).

Prayer:

Father God, spiritual understanding is ours as we allow Your Spirit to discipline our carnal nature and strengthen our spiritual nature as You fill us with Your faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Help us to totally surrender to Your love and to trust You in the good times and the bad.

We know that only You hold the issues of life and death in Your hands (Psalm 41:13). We so enjoy the immeasurable intimacy which You share with those who love You and who keep Your commandments (John 14:15; Ephesians 3:8). We enjoy our fellowship with You and appreciate the showers of Your blessings on our daily life.

Thought for the Day:

Let us walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in our thoughts, words and deeds, so that we can bear fruit by His Spirit through every good work which we perform; and may we continually increase in our knowledge, understanding and intimacy with God. - Colossians 1:9-10

Satisfy Longings with Rivers of Living Water

People all around us, both Believers and unbelievers, are dying of thirst. We are filled with the rivers of living water which they need (1 Corinthians 16:18; 2 Corinthians 7:13). As we allow these rivers to flow out of us, fresh water flows into us.

This living water is not a one-time blessing, but a continual flow of eternal life flowing from Jesus and His Spirit who abide within our innermost being - our soul and spirit (John 14:14-17). 

Water is also often used in the Bible to symbolize the life of the Holy Spirit filling us. He transforms us with the character, nature and fruit of the Trinity within us.

The fruit of the Spirit within us actually helps to provide our mate, children, extended family, friends, neighbors and associates exactly what they need to abundantly live in this world (Galatians 5:22-23).

As we walk in God's Spirit, He gives us what we need to satisfy the thirst within us and within those He brings into our life. Of course, we cannot force others to drink.

Jesus dwelt on earth for 33 years, and most people rejected Him. They ignored Him, argued with Him, attempted to disprove His assertions and wanted to crucify Him.

They did not believe His claims as Messiah. Even His signs and miracles could not convince them of His deity, and that He alone offered their thirsty soul living water to drink (John 7:37-39).

These stubborn, prideful, rebellious people rejected and eventually crucified Him. They were looking for a reigning King rather than a stable-born, carpenter's son.

They looked on the outward appearance rather than on the Holy Ghost power within Him. They did not recognize God in Him because they did not know God (John 5:23; 8:19, 42).

Prayer:

Father God, it is only as we know You that we realize we can ask You to quench our thirsty soul (John 4:10). You are our living water of life and satisfy all of our longings. We are completely immersed in and quench our thirst in Your rivers of living water which flow out of us to the world around us.

You fill us with Your Spirit, whom those who believe in You receive (John 7:37-39). He and Christ are rivers of living water abiding within us now and for eternity (Acts 10:44-45). Your Spirit seals us for salvation; ministers to us and flows out of us through our spirit, soul and body; and brings refreshing, thirst-quenching life to the world around us (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Thought for the Day:

Only Jesus satisfies the longing and fills the empty soul with both spiritual food and living water. - John 6:35