As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. (Ps. 42:1)
Imagine trudging through the desert, your body so depleted you begin hallucinating. Suddenly an oasis of palm trees encircling a pool of water appears. Your pace quickens. Reaching the edge of the pool, you lunge in only to be welcomed by hot sand.
Most of our thirst is not real thirst. A person in dire need of water experiences a completely different sensation. His mouth is parched, his lips are cracked, and his anxiety level is heightened. Lack of water eventually leads to death.
As our bodies thirst for liquid sustenance, so they should also thrist for spiritual nourishment. The psalmist compared it to a deer panting for water. Animals, like humans, must have water to live.
When we get thirsty, we look for something to satisfy, and in the process we learn some things gratify more effectively than others. Humans are wired in such a way that nothing short of the presence of God truly will fulfill us.
Are you thirsty for God to richly dwell in you? Only those hungering and thirsting for righteousness will be happy. Some ways we satisfy the thirst are by prayer, Bible study, interaction with other believers, and serving others with the gifts God gives us.
As we soothe our thirst for God, He creates even greater degrees of thirst so that we continually grow in our bond with Him.
Beware of looking in the wrong places to satisfy your thirst.
Martin Wiles loves using his writing to help others move further in their journey toward spiritual maturity.
