…thirst for God, the living God. Psalm 42:2
Do you know what it is like to be really thirsty, parched, in desperate need of water? Our experiences seem nothing compared to those who live in lands with little or no available drinking water. Yet, sometimes we can truly thirst and we know how that feels.
Recently I had a medical emergency and was not allowed to have water until a certain test was performed the next day. I was so thirsty, finding myself to be so desperate that I was actually begging for a swab to just wet my lips. The nurse felt so sorry for me - wanting to give me what I craved - water - but was unable to because of the doctor's strict orders.
I will always remember that night, in torment, tossing and turning, trying to accept the thirst, patiently (or not so patiently) waiting.
I wonder if I thirst for God in the same way? Is there a craving for Him? A sense of desperation? A desire for Him above all else?
The entire experience has opened my eyes to understand a bit more about what thirsting for God means. It also opens my eyes to realize what Jesus must have felt when, on the cross, He cried out, "I thirst".
May we say with the psalmist, "As the deer pants for streams of water so I long for You, O God." Psalm 42:1
