Sunday Writing... 5-31-20... "THIRSTY"

Good morning!

Are you thirsty?  When did you last have some water to drink?  If you drink a glass of water, how long will it be before you are thirsty again?  Is thirst only a physical issue?  In today's writing, "THIRSTY" we read about quenching our thirst with the right things.

Blessings,
Jan

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Today's Devotional:

"THIRSTY"

by
Jan Andersen

There are times when we get so thirsty that our throat seems to stick together or our tongue "cleaves to the roof of our mouth." That thirst may be caused by not having enough water to drink, or as a side effect from some medications, or from breathing through our mouth instead of our nose during activity. They say that once we feel thirsty, we are already starting to become dehydrated.  If we don’t drink enough of the right fluids and dehydration becomes severe, it can cause significant physical complications and even death.  While caffeinated drinks have a mild diuretic effect, drinks that have alcohol in them can actually make dehydration worse.  It is important to drink enough of the right fluids to reverse the effects of dehydration.

There are times in our lives when we become spiritually thirsty. That thirst may be caused by us turning our backs on God, trying to make it on our own without Him.  It can also occur when we make something else more important than God and put that first in our lives instead of Him. It may just be that we have lost interest in feeding our faith, or forgotten those things that we do to maintain our healthy relationship with God such as prayer, meditation, Bible study, fellowship or attending services that build us up. Another possibility is that we are angry with God over things that have happened, and though we still believe He exists, we deny He is loving and merciful and ever present to help us. Some people don't even know this God and are so spiritually dehydrated they are at risk of spiritual and eternal death, because they either deny God exists or are following a false god.

There is hope for all of us. Jesus offers us "living water" to quench our thirst. The gift of the Holy Spirit was given to his followers on a day we call Pentecost. We receive the gift of the Spirit in baptism. The Spirit creates faith in our hearts and gives us the power to live a holy life and share our faith with others. We then become a part of that river of water. The living water refreshes us and others, like receiving a tall glass of ice water when we are thirsty on a hot, dry day. But this water not only quenches the immediate thirst, it cures the spiritual dehydration so that we no longer thirst again when we remain faithful.

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39 

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 (NIV)

So are you thirsty? Let Jesus slake your thirst and let the living waters flow!  

Dear Father in heaven, we are eternally grateful for Your living water which quenches our spiritual thirst and wells up in us to eternal life. Help us to be a part of the river of life as we share this with others.  In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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Song:
LIVING WATERS
Keith & Kristyn Getty

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Prayers are lifted up daily for you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff of Women's Focus Ministries.

Blog Writers

 Sandy Billingham, Carol Steficek,   

 Brother Thomas Ukwute, Jody Ward,  Cathy Friberg, 

Jan Andersen and  Corinne Mustafa

Occasional Contributors
Kathy Bireley,  Terri Baker

Lynda Kinnard, Beverley Napier, 

 Amie Spruiell, Linda Garrett, and Lisabeth Lipp