What are You Thirsty For?

Yesterday we looked at the first truth about thirst:

We were created to thirst for the Lord.

Did you learn anything from our exploration in Genesis?  Whenever I read those first few chapters in Genesis I always get stuck on the reality that Satan wants us to believe God isn’t enough.   So often I find myself believing that lie … I need to do more, be more, learn more … more, more, more.   It’s a dangerous lie that can lead us straight down the path of a works-based faith and ultimately into legalism.   

Because I have learned that I slip into this “more” mentality, I have also learned several Scriptures to counteract that lie.   Today, we’ll look at one of my favorites as we explore the second truth about thirsting for the Lord:

Truth #2:  Our thirst can only be quenched from the inside out.

Two years ago my daughter got a stomach bug.   Within thirty-six hours she was completely dehydrated.  No matter how many cool baths we gave her or cool cloths we put on her forehead, she didn’t get better … she needed to be hydrated.   In the emergency room, they began treating her with IV fluids and grape popsicles.   By the time that first bag of fluids was gone, she looked and felt a hundred times better.   The only cure for her dehydration was to be rehydrated.

This concept applies to our spiritual lives … We cannot quench the thirst within us from the outside in.   Our thirst for the Lord can only be quenched from His work on the inside of our hearts and minds.   We can’t do enough Bible studies or visit enough sick people.   We can’t  spend enough time with others who are thirsting for God to have that rub off on us.  Jesus spelled out clearly the answer to quenching our thirst in the Beatitudes:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.  Matthew 5:6  

In this verse I find three attributes of this quenching from the inside.

1. Blessing.   Jesus said there is a blessing in this thirst.   Basically He was invoking God’s favor upon those who thirsted in this way.   I don’t know about you, but experiencing God’s favor and goodness in my life is of utmost importance to me.   I long to experience the blessing of living within the Lord’s desires for my life.
2. Righteousness.   As we thirst (and hunger) for righteousness, we align ourselves with what God’s desires and purposes.  The result of this alignment is a deeper understanding of Who He is … and a more intimate relationship with Him.
3. Filling.   When we thirst for Him, when we realize He is sufficient and simply long for more of Him, not more of anything else, we find ourselves filled.  Our thirst is quenched.   Far too many believers are living unfilled, unfulfilling lives.   Christ said that in Him we can experience abundant life, life to the full … this happens when we thirst for Him and believe He alone is sufficient to quench our thirst.