Thirst

God created us to thirst. He gave us a drive that causes us to reach for something that will truly satisfy. When we reach for all kinds of other things that distract us, our thirst doesn’t go away. It continues to drive us toward what we really need, toward what God wants for us.

Thirsting for Water

When we don’t drink enough water, our body becomes dehydrated, and we thirst. Sometimes we try to quench our thirst with other things like sweets or munchies. We grab a handful on the run but the more we eat, the more dissatisfied we feel. Sometimes we try to satisfy our thirst with counterfeits like soda pop, beer or coffee. Though they may wet our whistle for a time, we still end up thirsty. We keep trying to quench our thirst with the wrong thing, while we continue to get thirstier and thirstier. When we finally drink fresh water, it tastes so good. We chug it down and we feel satisfied. We no longer thirst.

God gave us a thirst for Him.

In  John 4:13-15 ESV Jesus says, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.”

God created in us a desire to be in relationship with Him and to know Him more. We search after money, power, or love to fill our thirst and make us happy, but no matter how much we have, it never satisfies. Sometimes we try to ignore our thirst or hide it with parties, drugs or sex, but it doesn’t go away. It is always there calling us to living water, to the only one that will ever satisfy us.

I remember times when I was not very close to God, and I ignored my thirst. I became self-sufficient, proud, and cynical. But when I encountered God in small ways, I became thirsty again. It was as if I was putting a glass of water to my lips, but didn’t quite know how to drink it – or was too afraid to drink it. It is so hard to stop looking around at other things to satisfy us, or stop trying to control our happiness. Sometimes it seems like the hardest thing in the world is to just be and to drink fully of  living water.

A Thirst for Our Spouse

In Proverbs 5:15-20, Solomon warns, “Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.”

Our spouse is supposed to satisfy our thirst in marriage. Distractions like pornography or erotica will never satisfy us. They are a cheap imitation that entice us, wastes our time and leave us feeling more thirsty. Intimate connection with our beloved, enjoying sex like God wants us to, is what satisfies us. We are supposed to create a cistern, a reservoir of memories, so that when we are going thru a dry spell, we can draw on amazing times together to satisfy us and help find our way back. We are supposed to save ourselves for each other – our energy, our creativity, our thoughts – and freely share them we each other. God wants to bless our marriage and our sex life. He wants us to drink fully of each other and be full satisfied in each other.

I have no greater desire than for my husband to be fully satisfied in me. I want him to feast his eyes on me and be thrilled. When I need refreshment or comfort, I thirst for my husband’s embrace. Becoming One helps my husband and I face the day as God blesses us.  God has given me a thirst for intimacy with my husband and it is so very good.