“My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” Psalm 42:2
When the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, presenting to them in detail the content, meaning, and outworking of the Gospel, he spoke also of the work of God, that “work” by which sinful man could come to a saving, and sanctifying knowledge of God in Christ. He wrote: “Or despisest thou the riches of His (God’s) goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (2:4) What is Paul seeking to communicate here, with respect to the salvation of men? It is that God is first and foremost, good. That perfect, entire goodness stretches into eternity unchanging. This amazing goodness is revealed in His gracious dealings with fallen man. How do we recognize this?
According to the Apostle, God works in us in specific ways to bring us to first to a knowledge of our own need before him, a conviction of sin. He then reveals to us a certain knowledge of Christ, which, according to the truths of the gospel, declare that Christ is the only, singularly perfect answer to the need of men, especially when it comes to the saving of one’s soul. The question then becomes, “How does God work to bring us to see our need, and then to seek Christ as the answer to that need, certain that God will intervene in HIs grace and goodness, to grant repentance and faith to be born again, to be saved? A large part of the answer to that question is found in one word, “thirst.” How do we know that God is working in our hearts to bring us to Himself? We know by the thirst that He gives, that awareness of the need in one’s heart and life that nothing on earth can satisfy.
Throughout the Scriptures, we find the matter of “thirst” a consistent experience of man. In the 10th century, B.C., and before, the psalmists of old spoke of this thirst. In Psalm 42 we find one writing: “As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.” (v.1) In and around the 8th century B.C., Isaiah would write: “I will pour water upon him that that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring.” (44:3) In Jesus’ day, on one occasion while in Jerusalem, He stood up and cied: “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scriptures hath said, out of his belly (heart) shall flow rivers of living water.” (Jn. 7:37) If these examples of the presence and reality of spiritual thirst are not enough, and them covering thousands of years of history, we have only to go to the last book of the Bible, Revelation, to read in the last chapter: “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” (22:17) Thirst, spiritual thirst, is a means by which God works in the hearts of men, to bring them to Himself, to a saving knowledge of Christ, and the experience of life eternal.
During the ministry of Jesus, He revealed how God works to bring men to himself. He speaks of drawing out the hearts of men to Him, not only making them aware of their individual need, thus creating thirst, but pointing them to Christ as the perfect answer. He wrote: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” (Jn. 6:44) The Father creates a thirst for the eternal, placing the thought of eternity in the heart, in order to meet the eternal need of the heart. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matt. 5:6) God creates thirst certainly to meet man’s present, and eternal need.
Dear Father, Fill our thirsty souls. In Jesus’ name, Amen.