Spring
2008
Spiritual
Thirst
In the book of Psalms we find the expression of a yearning
for God Himself; a cry from deep within our hearts, for something
more in God. And in reality, this is a response to God’s longing
heart, His thirst for fellowship with men that He might fill
us to overflowing that we might come into a deep abiding personal
relationship with Him and His Son Jesus Christ.
Psalm 84:2 My soul longeth yea fainteth for the courts of the Lord.
This is a longing for His presence and His anointing. This
is a cry to walk in the Spirit. My friends, there is something
higher, something purer in God that is available to us in
this day and in this very hour in which we walk. This longing
for the Lord is the irresistible urge as expressed by those
who so hunger and so thirst after God.
My heart and my flesh crieth
out for the Living God. Have you experienced this cry
for Him to inhabit His people? Have you felt this yearning
to be so clothed upon by the Spirit of God? This spiritual
longing is far different than the cry of selfish earthly prayers
of men.
Psalm 63:1 O Lord Thou art my God Early will I seek thee. My
Soul thirsteth for Thee. My flesh longeth for thee in a dry
and thirsty land where no water is. This is so apart from
the typical Christian experience. Are you so consumed with
having this inner knowing of God? Do you so thirst that you
will be satisfied with nothing less than knowing Him in all
the fullness that can be known of him even as the apostles
and the prophets of old so knew Him?
David said: “One thing have I desired of the Lord and that
will I seek after . . . ” Many today
are guilty of having divided hearts, seeking many things.
They seek for their ministry. They seek for earthly riches.
They seek for their own power. They seek to be seen of men.
But there are those who seek God for Himself. Believing
that His fellowship, His presence, and His approbation are
all the reward in itself.
David said: “As a hart panteth after the water brooks so
panteth my soul after thee. . .” In our questing for the Lord,
we find ourselves running over hill and dale, running through
mountains and valleys, panting and longing with our mouth
wide open, pressing forward, stretching ourselves to reach
His streams of living waters. Have you caught the scent of
His living waters? I am told that a deer can smell water from
miles away.
If you do not feel this burning thirst, if you lack this
singleness of vision, take heart! If you
are willing to lay aside your own personal aspirations.
If you are willing to close your
wandering lustful eye. If you will reach out to Him with all
your heart, you too can enter into this wondrous thirst --
and sup with Him - eating with Him of His secret manna and
drinking with Him of His living waters.
David had this kind of hunger and thirst for God. This hunger
and thirst of David was the main reason he had such great
spiritual attainments – attainments that surpass most Spirit-filled
and Bible believing Christians of our day. Because of this
very thirst, he had revelations of Christ beyond the measure
of men and women we consider spiritual giants. Perhaps this
lack of a spiritual hunger and thirst is why we so lack today.
Psalm 107:9 For He satisfieth the longing soul, (The Thirsty) and filleth the hungry soul
with goodness.
God will satisfy the thirsty soul that truly reaches out
unto Him with His goodness. But unto the Bible believing or
Spiritfilled soul that reacheth not out to Him, that soul
has found its satisfaction in some other source, and of a
truth that soul shall has received all its reward and no more
of the Lord in this life or the next.
In this hour so many things have taken the place of thirsting
for God. A satisfaction with the doctrines of men, and the
traditions of men, a love of the things of this world, a lust
of the eyes for wealth, for ministry, for power, and to be
seen of men. It is also possible to be satisfied with one’s
supposed spiritual attainments and thereby fall short of one’s
calling.
Never lose sight of this one thing: salvation, our walk,
our ministry, and our calling, rise and fall on one issue
and one issue alone, how we cultivate our personal relationship
with Him. True ministry, true gifts and true callings all
lead to Him. If they lead not to Him, the ministry, the gifts,
the callings are not of God, but rather of the god of this
world.
Are we are seeking only a passing fling with God, or an eternal
relationship?
Do you so hunger?
Do you so thirst?
Do you so yearn to know the Lord intimately and personally?
Then cry out to Him daily and tell Him so.