Thirsting For God | Northstar Church

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” – John 4:13.

What is the first thing that pops into your head when you are thirsty? Cool water. You can’t help it. It’s instinctive whether it is a hot day in Florida or you are walking in the desert. The thirstier you feel, the more water dominates your thoughts. You begin to think about where you are and where you can get a cool drink of water.

The question is to do we thirst for God? In the 63rd Psalm, David the shepherd king expressed his desire for God: “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)

When we’re thirsty, we crave water. Do, we crave Jesus? Jesus declares that anyone who is thirsty can come to Him and drink (John 7:37-39). He tells us our souls were created to need God, to desire Him, and to thirst for Him.

Jesus has given us a tangible way to reflect on our soul’s reliance on Him. Our daily need for water acts as our reminder to drink deeply of Jesus every day. He doesn’t have what we need. He is what we need. Knowing this, we can also rejoice in the fact that Jesus doesn’t just give us a drink to satisfy us in the moment, but He gives us an eternal fountain of living water. We will never run out of His grace, His love, His freedom. “Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied!” (Matthew 5:6 AMP)

Whatever we are hungry and thirsty for is what we will seek to satisfy that hunger and thirst. If we are hungry for God, then we will seek after Him and His righteousness, His salvation, and His wisdom. In the same vein, we should thirst after the living God. He is here and now. Jesus is Emmanuel—God with me. He is not in a land long, long ago, or far, far away. He is present in the wind that creates waves in the Gulf and He is in the midst of our daily circumstances.

My prayer is that we thirst to be in His presence. That we are hungry for a vital encounter with the Living God. He is all we need. Today, let’s pause and let God know how very much we thirst for Him.

Discussion Questions:

Have you felt distant from God because of something you did (sin, busyness, etc.)? How did it impact your relationship with God?
What can we do this week to thirst after God?