The True Thirst Quencher

Have you ever experienced true thirst?  You know, the type of thirst that comes from spending too much time in the sun on a hot day without hydrating at regular intervals. The type of thirst that makes you gulp down a whole 600ml bottle of water in 60 seconds flat.

When my body sends me the signs that it is thirsty, I know that it is time to rehydrate with water.  What I sometimes forget is that our soul thirsts too. Our soul thirsts for time with our Creator, time to praise, time to pray, time to listen and time to reflect. This is the type of “spiritual rehydration” that our soul desperately needs.

David describes this type of thirst in book of Psalm:-

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” Psalm 42:1-2a (NIV)

There is a danger though, one that I must admit I hadn’t given much thought to before now.  The danger is that I might rehydrate my soul with “water” that will keep me thirsty. Jesus talks about this in the story of the woman at the well in the book of John:-

“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” John 4:13-14 (NIV)

The water that keeps us thirsty of which Jesus is speaking of here is described in The Wieserbe Bible Commentary as “…anything the world has to offer”.  The commentary then goes on to say “How true it is that the things of this world never completely satisfy”.

I know that if I am not careful I can get distracted by everyday life and my unending “to do list”.  I know that sometimes I get caught up with an endless cycle of work, socialising, planning meetings and family commitments - so much so that my quiet time becomes a rushed 10 minutes squeezed in “wherever I have a moment”. Living like this only causes me to dry up, to dehydrate my soul because I am hydrating with the things of this world which always leave me wanting instead of making my time with God a priority.  It is in God’s presence as I am kneeling at His feet and devouring the wisdom He is eager to give me, that my soul can be truly replenished with the living water that never runs dry.

Courtney Joseph in her book “Women Living Well” expands on this concept further:-

“The Word of God is full of living water. We need to drink deeply from this living well so that we can be women living well…………God wants us to drink deeply of His living water every day.  He wants us to find refreshment, comfort and satisfaction through His Word…… Are we thirsting for Jesus, or have we made ourselves so busy that we don’t even know our soul’s greatest need – solitude with God?”.

I have found that the more I schedule in time with God to rehydrate my soul, the more I yearn to be in His presence. The more I spend time with God the more I yearn to meditate on His Word each and every day, morning, noon and night. How wonderful it is to know that there is a never-ending supply of God’s living water, all we have to do is pause to drink and drink deeply.

I pray this week that you take time to pause and drink deeply from God’s living well.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

References:       Image:     http://www.care2.com/greenliving/thirsty

                            Quotes:    Holy Bible: New International Version. (2011). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan

                                              “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary” Published November 1st 2007 by David C. Cook

                                              “Women Living Well” by Courtney Joseph