All right, back in the saddle. Talking about the Old Way vs. the New Way of the Spirit (you might want to brush up on the last few days if you haven’t read them yet).
Today’s Old Way Pillar is this: The hungrier and thirstier you are for God, the better. So pang away.
I can see where this comes from. Psalm 42 talks about thirsting for God like a deer thirsts for water. A lot of the Psalms mention longing for God, being hungry and thirsty for him to the point of near desperation. And I can certainly relate. When I used to spend 2-2.5 hours a day doing my devotions, that’s what motivated me. I was thirsty. Cause I’m not disciplined, per se. It was the ache in my soul that drove me to my knees. The prevailing view of late is that the hungrier and thirstier you are, the better (the more spiritual you are).
And then one day I read John 6:35, where Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Huh?
And then in John 7:38: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Streams of living water will flow from within him.”
Huh again.
God asked me a question: “How can you be thirsty with a spring INSIDE of you?”
Uh, you can’t?
And, “If being hungry and thirsty for God are so spiritual, how come Jesus promises that if you believe in him you’ll never thirst again?”
Uh… cause I must be mistaken about hunger and thirst.
Right after saying this, Jesus said, “But as I told you, you have seen me and you still do not believe.” Spiritual hunger and thirst are a sign that we don’t yet believe in Jesus — or at least, not enough to realize the full truth about our God-shaped hole.
Gasp!
In that moment, the truth just clicked. And I’ve never been thirsty or hungry for God again. Not for one second. I’m passionately in love with him, but remember, Jesus has bridged the gap and paid the price and dwells within me. This is New Testament reality. You never see Paul pining away for God. You never catch Peter thirsting and longing, as the deer. No way. The New Testament is about abundance, not a lack! It’s a fulfillment of the promise, not a carrot on a stick that’s never quite within reach.
Praise God!
TO BE CONTINUED…