So Thirsty I Could Suck A Mop......Thirsty!

Have you ever had real thirst? I mean, so-thirsty-you-could-suck-a-mop, thirst? I remember feeling such thirst, one very hot July day, when we took the kids to the St. Louis zoo. Knowing how expensive beverages were at the zoo, we brought our own little picnic including drinks but with the sweltering heat we were in great need of something more to drink. It was back in the day before ATM cards and the zoo only excepted cash. Unfortunately we didn't have enough cash to buy all seven of us a drink so we compromised and bought one drink to share. Like any mom, I let my parched children go first, with my tongue waiting patiently for just a drop to quench my thirst. Did you ever split a very small $5 drink seven ways? As you can imagine, by the time it got to me, one very small ice cube tumbled from the styrofoam cup into my waiting mouth. I have to say that it was the most refreshing little ice cube that ever melted on my tongue. Was I thirsty again? Yes! But for that moment heaven came down!

I thought of that physical thirst I had as I read today from Psalm 63:1 about a spiritual thirst.

You, God are my God, earnestly I seek you; I THIRST FOR YOU. My whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

In one of the books I am reading, it was suggested that I come up with a theme for the year and immediately this verse came to mind. My theme became “I Thirst For You” because I want to always want to hunger and thirst for what my God has for me.

David wrote these words as he was in the Desert of Judah hiding from Saul who wanted to kill him. He starts out with “You, God are my God, earnestly I seek you;” David, though I am sure he felt betrayed by others knew that his God still listened. Can't you hear David's desperate plea as he says to God....Earnestly I seek you? Being in the desert David knew something about physical thirst but this plea was for the spiritual thirst he felt. “I THIRST FOR YOU”, he said and then, as if to clarify even further he went on to to say; My whole being longs for you! Can you feel David's desperation? Then our song writer says from where he is coming..... a dry and parched land where there is no water!

Have you ever felt like you lived in this kind of land? Many times, when I look around it's hard to find any good in this old world. God has been excluded from everything. The “Living Water” seems unimportant to most people and we thirst for God. But then......that little morsel tumbles into my parched mouth and I rejoice that God is still in the business of quenching our thirst for Him whether it be in a beautiful scripture, a sunrise or feeling His presence. Will I be thirsty again? Yes! But for that moment, as David did, I go to my Lord with this plea, “Come to me Lord because I THIRST FOR YOU!”