THIRST FOR GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MAY, 07, 2022.

SUBJECT : THIRST FOR GOD!

Memory verse: "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” (John 7 vs 37.)

READ: Psalms 42 vs 1 - 2:

42:1: As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.

42:2: My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

INTIMATION:

To thirst, in the context of our discussion, is to have a craving, appetite, or great desire for; having a curiosity that motivates investigation and study. The craving for God and communion with Him should define the spiritual character of God’s people. This is because on the knowledge of Him do all things that pertain to life and godliness are hinged. Have Christ and you have everything because by Him all things consist (Colossians 1 vs 17). 

Hunger and thirst are basic to human nature. They are natural expressions of the basic human desire and need for food and water. One of the clear indicators that something is wrong physically is when we lose our appetite. It is the same spiritually. To hunger and thirst for God is at the very root of our being. It’s the way God made us. When there is no hunger for the presence of God, it is an indicator that something is wrong spiritually. 

When there is no thirst or hunger for the presence of God, it is an indicator that something is wrong spiritually. Because this spiritual thirst or hunger are so basic to human nature, it often finds fulfillment in other areas rather than in seeking God. Spiritually speaking, there is a thirst or hunger for God that is often not recognized for what it is. It may be an empty feeling, a sense of longing, even loneliness in the midst of people. We start looking for ways to make the feeling go away, that is, to fill up the emptiness. 

In a sense, we begin to look for things to do (looking for the junk food) that will mask the pangs of hunger within. Much as eating unhealthy junk food can dull physical appetite, so also, that which is not of God can dull our spiritual appetite. The danger of this type of behavior is that we dull our sense of hunger for God. In the same way that continued snacking through the day can dull our appetite and cause us to pass up a good, nutritious meal that our body needs, so we can fill up our schedules and desires to the point that we do not even realize that we no longer desire the presence of God.

This happens to non-Christians as they look for happiness and fulfillment in any area except in their relationship with God. It may be in human relationships, quest for power or money, or escape to physical pleasure. The saddest examples, however, are of Christians who allow their appetite for God to be dulled by other things, even religious things. 

Our churches are filled with believers who are so satiated by activities, programs and projects that they no longer have a hunger for God. So many Christians today snack their way through the day on “junk-food” activities and then find they have no time to “feast” with God. Then they complain about their “busyness” and tiredness, but that is typically a spiritual problem more than a problem of schedule. 

It is obvious that the imagery of hungering and thirsting after God is a scriptural concept. From the prophets of the Old Testament to Jesus and on through to the book of Revelation, the people of God are depicted as those who have developed a desire for God. When our thirst for God is dulled, we desire everything except God. We take God in small doses throughout the day and week and somehow hope that on Sunday we can “catch up” on our time with the Lord.

How then, can we begin to develop that thirst and hunger for God? If we find ourselves lacking in desire, can it be rekindled within us? Perhaps the best way to look at this is to again make a comparison to physical hunger and the way we handle it. When we get hungry, many of us begin to look for something to appease the hunger. For instance, if we are at work we may head to the snack bar or look out for snack sellers, or if we are at home, we go to the cupboard or the refrigerator, looking for a snack that will take away the feeling of hunger. Hunger prompts us to seek something to fill us up, even if it is something that is not really good for us.

It is the same way with spiritual thirst and hunger. It is no accident that one of the great spiritual disciplines of the Church is to fast. When we fast, we become acutely aware of our physical hunger. That physical hunger can lead to a spiritual hunger as well. Christians today are returning to fasting and prayer as a means of waking us up to our great need for the presence of God. It may be that we will need to fast from other things than food in order to restore our spiritual hunger. 

There may need to be a slowing of our hectic lifestyles that are crowding out our time with the Father. We may need to fast from some forms of entertainment to devote time to seeking the Lord. Those heavily involved in ministry may need to say “no” to that which is good, in order to seek that which is best. We may even need to reevaluate our family schedules.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the gift of our Messiah Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, my soul aches at the mere mention of Your name. My heart leaps for every rumor of Your coming, and each possibility that You will manifest Your presence. I am not satisfied with mere spiritual dainties. I’m ravenously thirsty and hungry for You in Your fullness. I am desperate to feast on the bread of Your presence and quench my thirst with the wine of Your Spirit.” Satisfy my thirst and hunger, O Most High, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!