Inspirations with Natalie Green - I'm Thirsty!

[Pastor Natalie B. Green]

I'm Thirsty!

By: Pastor Natalie Green

 

O God, 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…  (Psalm 63:1)

These hot summer days tend to arouse a thirst in me for a cool refreshing drink or quiet respite in the shade of a massive tree.  Hot summer days may cause you to long for the same or for a soothing breeze blowing off of the Atlantic Ocean.  What a refreshing thought.

 

It would be a natural trend of thought to suppose that since I am a native of Miami, Florida that I would frequently take advantage of the beautiful beaches and cool breezes that are a part of the landscape of my hometown, but oddly enough I rarely do.  Persons residing in cities without access to massive oceans probably can’t fathom the thought of someone living only a few miles from something so refreshing and invigorating yet hardly ever taking advantage of it.

When I read our focal verse today, I felt something click inside me.  I knew exactly what the Psalmist was feeling.  I was almost moved to tears to see my heart written in the pages of God’s word as if I had written them myself.  I have such a thirst for the refreshing presence of God that I can barely function (in the natural) some days for the distraction of my longing for Him.

 Have you ever been there?  Have you ever been in a meeting at work or at some social gathering but all you can think about is when is this going to be over?   I want to get out of here and into my personal sanctuary to bask in the refreshing presence of my Lord.  I’m talking about thirsting for and seeking Him. You know, those days when nothing else in this world matters; when you lay aside the demands of day-to-day living and cuddle up under the cool shadow of His wings - that kind of thirsty.

Jesus proclaimed something in St. John chapter 7 that gave me a lift in my spirit;

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (St. John 7:37-38)

How awesome is that!  Jesus made this profound statement right in the middle of a huge feast.  Who could possibly be hungry or thirsty at a feast?  That tells me that my soul thirst can never be quenched by external means. Living near the Atlantic Ocean doesn’t necessarily mean I’m taking full advantage of it, just as feeling the thirst for God in my soul and trying to quench it with activity, people, things or even “ministry” does not mean I’m taking full advantage of the river that flows on the inside of me.

I’ve learned that I have to actually partake of that which lies within me.  Notice the Psalmist made a choice to seek the Lord because of his thirst for Him.  I have to allow the waters of the Spirit to quench my thirsty soul by seeking His presence.  I look for ways to escape, even in a crowded room with chaos all around me; I can tap in the rivers of living water that are flowing within me to quench my thirst soul.  With a soft-spoken “Lord I adore you”, you and I can steal away any time I want to and drink from His ever-flowing fountain because that fountain of refreshing is bubbling on the inside of us.

Pray with me:

Father how grateful I am to know that refreshing springs are flowing on the inside of me and have been since the day that I believed and put my trust in you.  Help me Lord, to escape into your presence on a daily basis to quench the longing in my soul that I may be a witness to your goodness and mercy that is available to all who seek you, in Jesus name, amen.

Go Deeper:

Matthew 5:6 - Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Psalm 42:2 - My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?