01/16/2022
We hunger and thirst the most when we are starving and parched. The Lord knows our hearts and can see the coming droughts and famines, but those of the spirit are without a doubt the hardest to bear. We can recover from worldly starvation and thirst with the help of men, but only God can feed our souls, and give us living water when our spirits have wandered into a desert that is void of His Word. Have we strayed from our faith, and do we find ourselves running to and fro seeking God, but unable to find Him?
““Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.”
Amos 8:11-12 ESV
When we experience a time of hunger and thirst for God we begin to seek Him as if He has abandoned us, but He is with us always. We might not hear His voice, or recognize His face, but He never loses sight of us, nor fails to see our ribs protruding as starvation for Him sets in. In our spiritual deserts when our bodies are famished, and we are dying of thirst, He shows us the true value of His Word, and the life giving truth that pours from the gospel of Jesus. In these moments of intense suffering our greatest spiritual awakenings occur, and our faith feasts.
““Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Matthew 5:6 ESV
It’s a mystery how we long the most for those things that are missing from our lives. It never ceases to amaze us that we can take for granted what we have until it is gone, and then we desperately mourn our loss in its absence. It is inexplicable how we can treat others with disdain when they are alive, then honor them when they are dead, or only realize the love we have had for someone once they are out of reach.
“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
We have everyday sayings for such behavior. One of the most common is this one: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder!”, and then there is a rather Eastern saying by Khalil Gibran that goes like this: “Ever has it been that love knows not it’s own depth until the hour of separation.” These can be applied to our faith as well.
We can worship God for years and then one day find that we are taking our faith, and His presence in our lives, for granted. Then, due to our lack of loving Him we come to find that we have broken the greatest commandment, and are no longer loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This revelation usually comes when we realize that He has grown silent in our lives.
“We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.”
John 9:31 ESV
However, our God is merciful, and if we return to Him with contrition, and ask forgiveness for what it is that has separated us… He will forgive us, the veil of separation will be removed, and our faith and relationship will return with interest… magnified by His grace, and aglow with His glory.
So do we thirst, and hunger, for God today? Has a veil been cast over His Word, and blinded us to it? Most of all… are we prepared to fall to our knees and worship Him with an intensity of faith that is far greater than what we once knew?
“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.”
Mark 4:23-24 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for walking and talking with us, and for hearing the contrition in the voices of those who are returning home from wandering lost in a spiritual desert. Thank you for feeding us the manna of your Word, and lifting the cup of living water to our lips to quench our thirst. Thank you for increasing our belief through our suffering, and sending the roots of our faith deep into the ground as they seek the living water of Christ. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who works all things together for good to those who love you. Praised be your name for strengthening of faith, even in those times of longing when we feel so lost from you. Merciful are you who not only restores us, but increases our belief. Father, cleanse us in Christ, and open our hearts to your Holy Spirit as we search your Word in Spirit and Truth. Find us worthy as we are judged, and seat us at your table forevermore. Hear us raise our voices in eternal praise and worship to you as we gain strength and sustenance from your Word, and find joy in our life everlasting as we partake of the bread and wine… the body of Christ.
“But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 ESV
Rich Forbes