Thirst for God

⁷Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. ⁸This Book of the Law shall not depart  from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:7-9

One of the biggest obstacles an athlete faces is thirst. This leads to dehydration. Once that happens, the athlete is unable to go on. They have to stop. What happens when they don't replenish? It leads to death. So what should they use to re-hydrate? Does it matter? Well, if a runner finishes a marathon, would the first thing they ask for be a cup of coffee? Probably not. Coffee is not a thirst quencher. Water is.

Christians have a similar problem. We have spiritual thirst. This type of thirst is actually a good thing. Just like in an athlete, it alerts us that we need something, or we will have to stop or die. What are the symptoms of thirsting spiritually? There are many. Having a dry and brittle personality, impatience, unforgiveness, and bitterness area few symptoms. Any ungodly character trait is a symptom of being thirsty spiritually.

So, how do we quench this thirst before we do srious harm to ourlselves and those around us? We are told to come to the Living Water for replenishment (John 4:10-15). The problem is that most of us don't come to the right source. We are drinking coffee and not water and then wonder why we are not satisfied. We buy stuff or eat stuff or watch something to cover the symptoms of our thirst. Never satisfied, yet always drinking.

One way to satisfy our thirst is to meditate on Scripture and the life and person of Jesus Christ. Too often in our devotional lives we can get caught in the "more is better" way of thinking. We feel better when we read large chunks of the Scripture. George Mueller, a great saint from the past, warns us of doing this. He says, ". . . the simple reading of the Word of God can become information that only passes through our minds, just as water passes through a pipe." Meditation has the exact opposite effect on our lives. By focusing our minds on a verse, or a concept that we read from the Bible, we "chew" on or think on this Scripture throughout the day. This allows us to understand the Word better and apply it to your day to day situations.

There's a reason the Psalmist says, "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). Thank God for giving us spiritual thirst that reminds us to drink deeply of his Word.

Journal:

• What am i satisfying my thirst with? How's that going for me?


• Who can i ask that will honestly tell me if i'm showing symptoms of being thirsty?

Prayer - Father God, thank You for creating in me a thirst for You. Forgive how slow I am to understand and apply the concept of "drinking" the Living Water of Your Word. Help me to thirst for You alone, and when I go to other, unsatisfying sources of refreshment, remind me by Your Spirit to come for a "drink" of You instead. In Jesus' name, Amen.