Read Exodus 17:1-7; Judges 15
In Exodus 15 through 18 we have the story of the recently
freed Israelites traveling from Egypt to Mount Sinai on their way to the
Promised Land, which included a stop at Rephidim. In Judges, we have Samson’s
story about killing 1000 Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone. Their stories are diverse, but both have
something in common: they had a consuming thirst. There is something about being thirsty. It can
truly be consuming and demands to be satiated.
In the case of Samson and the Israelites, it became so consuming that
they quickly forgot how amazing God had just been and faithlessly complained
that He was now killing them with thirst.
Jesus also demonstrated the consuming nature of
thirst. He endured a night without sleep,
dragged from place to place and any physical needs disregarded. A crown of thorns was forced down on his
brow; he was slapped, whipped, made to carry a splinter ridden crossbeam; rusty
spikes were driven through His feet and wrists, the cross jarringly dropped
into a hole in the ground, and He had to force himself to stand on the spike to
take each excruciating breath, but the only inkling of complaint was “I am
thirsty.” (John 19:1-3,17,18,28)
The dictionary defines thirst as: a feeling of needing
or wanting to drink something; lack of liquid needed to sustain life; a strong
desire for something. David understood every aspect of this
definition. He both experienced and
observed countless times of desperate physical thirst as he fled from King
Saul’s pursuing soldiers in the desert wilderness. However, that physical
thirst did not compare to his spiritual thirst.
In his psalms he frequently wrote about this consuming thirst of his
soul. (Read Psalm 42:1-2 and Psalm 63:1)
That “dry and weary land” David referred to in Psalm
63:1 doesn’t just describe the wilderness, but this world. It has nothing to offer to truly satisfy the
thirst of our souls. But David knew
firsthand that God truly could. (See Psalm 107:4-9) God, Himself, wonders why we waste so much
time and effort on what can’t possibly satisfy. “Ho!
Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy
and eat. Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and
your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in
abundance.” (Isaiah 55:1,2) The Lord
repeats this offer in Revelation 21:6.
Jesus told the woman He met at the well, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever
drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that
I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal
life.” (John 4:13,14) He stood on
the temple steps and said, “If anyone is
thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture
said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in
Him were to receive.” (John
7:37-39)
If we offer up our lives to Him like an empty earthen vessel, He will
fill it with the incredible treasure of Himself! Truth is, once we drink deeply of this Living Water we
will crave more and more. It becomes a different deeper thirst for more of Him.
When we allow the Holy Spirit to flow
freely in and through us, He continually quenches our consuming soul thirst for
God.
Making It Personal
Can you recall I time of consuming thirst? What was the situation or circumstances that
led to such a desperate need for water? (i.e. Extreme physical exertion,
weather conditions, illness, lack of availability, negligence of proper
hydration.)
Have you experienced a need that was as consuming as
physical thirst can be?
In the Scripture reading, both the Israelites and Samson grumbled,
complained and faithlessly accused God of abusing them. They became so consumed
with their physical discomfort and inconvenience that they dismissed all the
incredible things God had just done for them. Can you relate?
Exodus 17:1 says God chose the route the Israelites were
to travel and camp, which included Rephidim where there was no water. Deuteronomy 8:3 says “He humbled you and let
you be hungry …” He then provided an
abundance of grace, but first, He let them be hungry and thirsty. Why?
What purpose might God have in letting you be uncomfortable and
inconvenienced?
What is the promise of Matthew 5:6? How does this apply to what God has taught
you today?
Have you experienced a consuming soul thirst for God? What
was the situation or circumstances that led to such a desperate need for the
Lord?
How do you drink in deeply the Living Water made available
to you?
