Thirsty for the Living God

As a deer pants for flowing streams,

so pants my soul for you, O God. 

uMy soul thirsts for God,

for vthe living God.

When shall I come and wappear before God? - Ps. 42:1-2

It's so easy to read this Psalm and miss the meaning that the author intended. The author is not merely using an analogy so that we can read and sigh, "Oh that is a beautiful word picture." Rather, his heart is desperately thirsty for the Only One who can satisfy that thirst.

About a month ago, a dear friend and I were walking around Lake Murray. It was pretty hot, and while I had brought water, it was gone when we were still 2 1/2 miles away from our cars. Joy didn't have any water at all. Those last 2 1/2 miles were miserable. We kept talking about how much we wanted water, how we were going to stop by her house before we went to dinner just so we could have ice cold water, and how refreshed we would feel as we drank. By time we finished walking though, we didn't even want to wait the 10 minute drive back to her house. We stopped at a Starbucks less than 2 minutes away just to get some water. It never tasted so good. That day, our thirst was all-consuming.

I am thirsty. I am desperate for my heart, my life to be made new. I am desperate to know God more. I am longing to know and love and commune with Him as I walk through my days. I want to see His purposes fulfilled and His plans take precedence in my heart. I am thirsty to see more of His glory displayed in this world.

But I am also thirsty for that which I despise. I seek satisfaction in people, jobs, money and possessions.  I often care more about the opinions of others than of Him who created me with His words. I feel empty when my day goes wrong. I seek satisfaction in that which does not satisfy.

C.S. Lewis contends that if what we were desiring still leaves us empty, than it was not truly what we were desiring in the first place. His conclusion: "Earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but to arouse it, to suggest the real thing."

That real thing is found in Jesus Christ. He is the only One who loves like He promised, who gives peace and rest like He promised, who fills like He promised, who satisfies the thirsty soul like He promised. All of these other things I run after promised to satisfy, but they fell short. My Jesus never has. So my prayer is that I hunger even more after Him. May we find ourselves always thirsty for the living God.