By Lacey Lett
There are days when I do not feel thirsty, but I drink a glass of water because I know my body needs it. It may not taste great, but I drink it because I know it is good for me. There are other days when I spend time exercising out in the heat of the day. My body uses the water I drank earlier, making me thirsty and highlighting my need to drink again. On those days, water from the same source tastes delicious and refreshing. I drink more and enjoy the refreshing taste. It renews and prepares me to go out into the heat once again.
In the same way, there are days when I don’t feel thirsty for God’s Word or His presence. Those are the days I approach His Word out of obedience because I know it is good for me. As I drink of His Word, I may not be given any new revelation, but I know scripture is always true and always good for my soul. (II Timothy 3:14-17, Isaiah 55:10-11) Again there are other days when I exercise my faith by serving, loving, giving, praying, teaching or forgiving. As I complete an act of faith, what God has poured into me freely flows out to the world, leaving me thirsty for God and highlighting my need to drink again. On those days His Word is more desirable and refreshing because I have seen its power change my life and the world around me. I drink deeply as He fills me and fuels me to go out and share with others once again. (Isaiah 58:10-11) God created us to operate in a continual cycle of being filled and being poured out. He is always ready to fill us, and He is always sending us out to share living water with the dying world around us. Each time we pour out His love and grace and truth, the desire to be filled again grows stronger, and we return to drink deeper—experiencing more of God during our time alone with Him as well as through our relationships with the world around us.
So, if you want to be thirsty, obediently approach God and His Word daily, whether thirsty or not, and then ask Him to increase your thirst. Ask sincerely, knowing He is faithful to do it, and prepare your heart. (Psalm 37:4-5) He may choose to increase your thirst by showing you ways to pour out what He has already poured into you. He will grant you opportunities to exercise your faith and rely on the truth of His Word in the heat of life’s circumstances. When you step out in faith and complete those “workouts” whole-heartedly, it will increase your thirst for Him and send you running back to His living water to drink deeper and sweeter. (Ps. 63:1, 119:103)
A little exercise always makes me thirsty. How about you?
Lacey Lett is a stay-at-home mom and runs a small business from home. She, her husband, Jared, and their two children live in Rogers and have been attending Grace Hills since June 2015. She leads a weekly prayer gathering for women in the community.