A THIRST BUT NOT FOR WATER

 

Friday, July 7, 2023

 

A THIRST BUT NOT FOR WATER

 

Ps 63:1-2

63 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, where no water is;

2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

 

Matt 5:6

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

 

          I am looking across the room at a toy car that once belonged to my father. It is an old “Tin Lizy” with yellow wheels, lights, movement, noise, and even smoke. I keep it and treasure it because dad, born in 1917, probably owned one. Why is this my focus this morning? It is a reminder of, not only my father, but of a time that is gone.

 

          I have been pursued and overtaken by a dystopian culture. It is a time and place bereft of truth and reason in a land without law and undefined by borders. It is a wasteland of disposables, a society without friendships where everyone is a suspect, and none is found guilty. This is what a thirst for God and righteousness feels like.

 

          Moreover, church has been replaced by theatre, music by noise, praise by pretense. I know this seems harsh, but I speak from the depths of my thirst. I long for music with harmony, lyrics with a message, praise with genuine emotion, and a sermon that connects with my heart. This longing, this pining after God, is real and embarrassing to confess. But God has a longing too.

 

Isa 44:2

 

3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

 

Lord, I am waiting for you. Come and commune with me and comfort me. Quench my thirst for you. AMEN