Sometimes I don't realize how thirsty I am until I go through the desert. Something about the dry and parched land reminds me how important water is. How much my body craves and needs it. And, I would suggest that we feel thirsty far more often than we feel hungry.
When I'm finished with an intense workout, I don't crave milk or soda or juice. I crave water. Cool water. When I'm busting it out at work staying at times hours in my patient's room, I often become quite thirsty and sometimes I ask a coworker to bring me some water.
However, often when I'm walking through a really dry place in my spiritual life, I forget to ask the Lord for His thirst quenching power. I forget He gives water breaks. I forget that He loves to give good gifts to His children. And sometimes, I even refuse His water. "Oh Lord… Couldn't you have brought me VOSS instead of Aquafina?"
Unfortunately, as I wonder why He isn't helping me, I reflect on all that He has done in times past. Usually, I'm not so focused on the times He has proven His faithfulness to ME, but I often can remember how He has proven faithful to OTHER people that I know.
"Ya know, Lord… You do everything for everyone else! You provided for his mission trip. You paid her electric bill. You gave him back double what he tithed. You brought her husband to her. They're going to have another baby. He went to school for free." The list goes on and on.
But, "I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory." -Psalm 63:2
I go through these cycles often. Belief and disbelief. Faithful and faithless. Seeking and refusing. Acceptance and rejection. Thirsting and thirst quenched.
David cried out to the Lord and it probably would sound something like this in our modern day, "OH GOD, I AM SO THIRSTY FOR YOU. I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN IN A DESERT WALKING AROUND FOR A LIFETIME WITHOUT WATER. I REMEMBER WHAT YOU CAN DO, OH GOD! OH GOD!"
I mimic this cry, "Oh GOD! I am SO thirsty. I am SO thirsty! I have been walking along this dry, hot, parched desert land and I've found nothing to quench my thirst. I must be thirsty for You, oh God. It has to be true. I remember what You do, what You've done, and what You CAN do. Quench my thirst, Lord."
I have seen Him work in the sanctuary of my life. My heart is His sanctuary. It is where He dwells, and I cannot deny that He resides there. That He has done some very detailed work on my soul and in my spirit. I have beheld His power and His glory in my life and in the lives of those I know. He has proven Himself faithful time and time again. He has shown His unfailing love to me in countless ways and in ways that I may never even know about.
My Lord,
Thank you for this desert. Thank you for reminding me how thirsty I am for you. For revealing that only You can quench that thirst. Thank you for your continued patience with me. Thank you for leading me to water even if I still wander seekingly through the desert. I am thirsty for You. I am longing for You, all of you. God, I have seen you in my sanctuary and I have beheld your power and your glory over and over and over again. You are GOOD. And, I love you. Grow my love for you and help me to see you in everything all of the time!
Amen
I go through these cycles often. Belief and disbelief. Faithful and faithless. Seeking and refusing. Acceptance and rejection. Thirsting and thirst quenched.
David cried out to the Lord and it probably would sound something like this in our modern day, "OH GOD, I AM SO THIRSTY FOR YOU. I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN IN A DESERT WALKING AROUND FOR A LIFETIME WITHOUT WATER. I REMEMBER WHAT YOU CAN DO, OH GOD! OH GOD!"
I mimic this cry, "Oh GOD! I am SO thirsty. I am SO thirsty! I have been walking along this dry, hot, parched desert land and I've found nothing to quench my thirst. I must be thirsty for You, oh God. It has to be true. I remember what You do, what You've done, and what You CAN do. Quench my thirst, Lord."
I have seen Him work in the sanctuary of my life. My heart is His sanctuary. It is where He dwells, and I cannot deny that He resides there. That He has done some very detailed work on my soul and in my spirit. I have beheld His power and His glory in my life and in the lives of those I know. He has proven Himself faithful time and time again. He has shown His unfailing love to me in countless ways and in ways that I may never even know about.
My Lord,
Thank you for this desert. Thank you for reminding me how thirsty I am for you. For revealing that only You can quench that thirst. Thank you for your continued patience with me. Thank you for leading me to water even if I still wander seekingly through the desert. I am thirsty for You. I am longing for You, all of you. God, I have seen you in my sanctuary and I have beheld your power and your glory over and over and over again. You are GOOD. And, I love you. Grow my love for you and help me to see you in everything all of the time!
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment