By Chaz Oswald, 22, USA
The sun and humidity combined to push the heat index to a blistering 95°F
(35°C). Sweat evaporated from my skin like steam off a boiling pot of water.
I
was exceedingly thirsty by the time I completed my run.
It would be outright stupid to attempt to satisfy my thirst with saltine
crackers or soda. If anything, my thirst would only intensify and I would be
even more dehydrated. There is only one natural liquid that can satisfy my
intense craving for replenishment—water.
In the same sense, we humans have an intense desire to fill the void within
us. In seeking to fill the void, we often turn to earthly and perishable
objects
that temporarily gratify.
We vainly seek to fill our emptiness with items or relationships that
“[reach] only the superficial parts of our nature. They are soon spent, and
need
to be supplied anew as much as if we had never experienced them before,
while
the deeper wants of our being are not reached by them at all”
(Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)
The abyss cannot be filled with a romance, a powerful position of authority,
or a well-paying job. What then can quench our thirst for something
more?
Jesus answers, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.
14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It
becomes
a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life” (John
4:13-14).
Note that Jesus is not talking about H2O. Jesus is referring to a
spiritual thirst quenching water. He is speaking of the Holy Spirit who
would be
given to everyone believing in Him (John 7:37-39).
One commentary puts it this way: “The indwelling of the Holy Ghost as the
Spirit of Christ is the secret to this life with all its enduring energies
and
satisfactions.”
Are you trying to fill the void in your heart with worldly solutions? Stop
chasing after the wind and experience true joy by drawing water from the
wells
of salvation (Isaiah
12:3).
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