“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat…” Isaiah 55:1
Dear Ones:
In John’s gospel, the Lord Jesus makes a remarkable declaration about being drawn to God: “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draws him.” (6:44) How does God “draw” someone to Himself? He does this in many ways, first in getting the attention of the individual. Scripture bears this out again and again. The Lord orders certain circumstances in the lives of those to whom He speaks, and reveals Himself. These circumstances are intended to get the attention of the individual, making him aware of his need, and the answer to that need. Another way that the Lord draws an individual to Himself, is to put within him a desire for God, or the nagging question in his heart and spirit concerning the presence and reality of God. There is a third way by which God draws someone to himself, and it has to do with the thirsting of the soul. This is not so much a physical thirst, but a consciousness of need that reaches down to the very depths of the individual’s soul and heart. It is there that a yearning for that which is eternal is felt very keenly. Solomon so rightly declared that God has, “…set eternity in their heart,” (3:11) in the hearts of men. That nagging “thought” creates a thirst for that which is eternal, sure, unchanging, and certain. We see this in the life of Abraham, who, “…looked for a city, which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Heb. 11:10) The thought of that which is eternal came to dominate him, as his knowledge of God increased. This “thirst” for the eternal, translates itself specifically into a thirst for God, to know the One who IS eternal. What are the characteristics of this “thirst” which is directed to God?
It is important to see that this “thirst” for God is not something new, but a continuation of God’s dealings with men today. In Psalm 42, the author writes: “….My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (v.2) Here is a man with a knowledge of the truth of God, but one who is ardently seeking to KNOW God, or as Paul wrote: “…to know the power of His (Christ’s) resurrection. This was Moses’ great desire, and thirst, when he asked God, that he might know His ways in order to KNOW Him. (Ex. 33) Why does sinful man have this thirst? It has to do first with the needs of men’s hearts that have been created by sin. The major effect of sin is death, and that emptiness that comes when one realizes that there is no adequate answer to it. Is it the end of life for the soul? What is there after death? What does it mean? And what is the answer, or antidote, to it? The second effect is the consciousness of one’s inadequacy, or one’s helplessness, to meet one’s needs. Again, this is not only an issue of physical needs, but of the heart and mind. Sin brings emptiness, purposelessness. Faith in God, and the corresponding revelation of God to the heart, brings life, hope, and His peace. It was St. Augustine who wrote that our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God. The heart of man was made by God to KNOW God. There is nothing in this world, or life, which can truly change this reality, unless there is the intervention of God in the heart.
The encouraging news about thirsting after God is that, both in the Old Testament and in the New, God gives the invitation to the thirsting soul, to come to Him. Jesus would add to this: “…He that believes on Me, as the Scripture says, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (Jn. 7:38) Christ comes to dwell in the heart by His Spirit, there to satisfy the soul, giving assurance in the face of death, providing all resources to live for the glory of God.
Dear Father, Answer the thirsts of our hearts with Thy living water. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad