“My soul thirsts for God; for the living God.” Psalm 42:2 ESV
I rarely get thirsty and can go for a long time without drinking water, like a camel. They have the ability to go for days or weeks without water. However, it’s not healthy for us. I try to drink a minimum of two quarts per day but it took some time to work up to that amount of water.
Gardening, yard work, outdoor activities, and sports will stir up a thirst pretty quickly. Athletes require an incredible amount of liquids and electrolytes. It’s amazing how much marathon runners can drink. In fact, they don’t wait until the end of the race to drink. They will grab for a water cup multiple times along their race route at various refreshing stations to get ongoing hydration and keep up their energy.
Jesus said on the cross, “I thirst.” He had the same human needs as we do. Our bodies thirst, and so do our souls. We need to satisfy our thirst for water daily, and we need to satisfy the longings of our soul with the life-giving fulfillment that only God can provide. Both are ongoing necessities. We need refreshing.
When King David was in the wilderness he sought God and cried out to Him.
“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1 ESV)
“There’s great satisfaction in receiving a word from God which so often comes by way of immersion in His Word and time spent with Him. Devotion to the scriptures, studying, meditating and prayer will prove to quench a deep thirst for a closeness with the Lord, for the living God. The great prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel had such devotion as this.
As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God. (Psalm 42:1, 2 ESV)
Draw near to God daily and enjoy His blessings as He fills your heart, mind, and soul with words of life, wisdom, love, and purpose. It will nourish us for the long journey.”
By Karen Huffaker
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• Satisfaction for the Thirsty Soul – by Charles Stanley
• The Cry of the Hungry and Thirsty – by Lynn Mosher
• Prayer to Thirst for God – by Gail Rodgers