God

God

On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.”

John 7:37-38

When you hear the word thirsty, what thoughts come to your mind? I think of the New Guinea impatiens plant that’s hanging and flourishing outside the front door of my home. It must be hearty, because I’m not the world’s greatest gardener.

As long as I give my New Guinea impatiens plant about one-half gallon of water a day, it’s happy and vibrant. If I miss a day or two of watering, the leaves begin to sag. If I miss more than a couple of days, especially in hot weather, the plant droops into an all-out wilt and looks as though it’s about to die. That happened once this summer when my family and I went away for a weekend. When we returned home, I could just about hear my plant crying for water. I promptly gave it a good, long drink, and within several hours its droopy leaves perked up.

What a graphic picture that thirsty plant was to me! I have a desperately needy heart that is also thirsty for God. Over the years, I’ve settled into the refreshing habit of satisfying my spiritual thirst through time with God each morning. If I miss out on that time for whatever reason, my soul begins to wilt and droop. Spending time with God—through reading his Word and talking to him—renews my heart without fail.

Father,

Thank you that your living water quenches our thirsty souls. In Jesus’ name, amen.