Tag Archives: God shaped void

Eternal Gladness, God our Joy

(The Everlasting Way) Our Deepest Longings Filled

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‘Uncle!’

Disillusioned, hopes crushed, my fragile world was crumbling around me. What I thought would bring lasting happiness left me disheartened, disappointed and empty. I wasn’t suicidal, but I felt like giving up. In fact, if I’d known where to go to ‘cry uncle,’ [1] I would have.

This describes several “low” points in my life. Maybe you’ve felt this way before.

I see now how I’d set my affections on God’s benefits rather than on God himself. Sometimes I still do.

I feel miserable during these times. But looking back, I see these very hard times as severe mercies, [2] each playing a part in further dislodging a destructive, disillusioning lie – Circumstantial happiness can bring lasting joy 

Our God Shaped Void

In the 1600s, Bliase Pascal wrote that only an infinite, immutable object can fill man’s cravings for true happiness.

His point was that man tries in vain to fill this need for lasting satisfaction with everything around him, when in fact only God Himself can give us what we so passionately desire. What Pascal was describing came to be known as our God-shaped void. [3]

Solomon, known as the wisest man who ever lived, concluded that God has set eternity in the hearts of men. [4]

Deep within every human lies an unquenchable longing for someone eternal: God Himself.

Some have the means to try filling this void with all manner of worldly ‘pleasantries.’ However, when the temporal luster wears off, emptiness returns.

When the temporal happiness of each ‘conquest’ fades, folks set their sights on something more. But the story repeats itself, and despair grows.

Someone asked John D. Rockefeller, “How much money is enough?” He replied, “Just a little bit more.”

Others with fewer resources might hope their whole lives for riches or fame. However, never achieving them, they die chasing a dream which would have never satisfied them anyway.

Unless awakened, we keep on searching and endlessly hoping the next big thing will finally satisfy our longing souls.

Awakened

God told Abram what we need to know right this moment.

Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward (Genesis 15:1b (NIV))

GOD HIMSELF is our GREAT REWARD. He fills the eternal void in our souls.

God Himself is the only one who can give us the deep JOY our hearts long for.

David discovered that the pinnacle of JOY is found only in being with God.

In Your presence is fullness of joy; (Psalm 16:11b).

The Joy of God exudes from every sunset, every flower, every breath.

I’m to draw near to God and His creation and stop trying to make happiness happen. I’m to take time to celebrate each moment God gives me.

After all, as a believer in Jesus Christ, I’m indwelt by His Holy Spirit. His creation is all around me and He is in me.

Consider what Jesus said:

I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger and he who believes in me will never thirst (John 6:35).

As His disciples, we need not hunger or thirst. He Himself is the eternal bread that deeply satisfies our souls.

Freshly baked bread.

If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’ (John 7:37b-38).

The Holy Spirit within us refreshes our weary, thirsty souls with rivers of living water.

Cool, crisp Living Water as from a mountain stream.

Prayer

Lord, I’m sorry for all I’ve chased after to try to satisfy the deep longings of my heart. Satisfaction can’t come from success because I’ve failed. It can’t come from pleasure because it quickly fades. It can’t come from people because they disappoint. It can’t come from trying to live a good life because I can’t.

You’ve given me so many things to enjoy: sunsets, puppies, flowers, ocean breezes, people I love, tea olives, chocolate, coffee, beaches and mountain streams. You are the Creator of it all. You alone are my Highest Joy. Only with You are other pleasures fully enjoyed.

Apart from You, other pleasures can become addictions and idols. But with You, all moment by moment pleasures can erupt into praise for who You are and all You’ve provided for me to enjoy.

I delight in You, Lord, above all else. Please guard my heart.

Amen

Reflections

Even though I’m increasingly aware that God Himself is my source of eternal Joy, I sometimes forget and join the world in seeking my fulfillment from what God has created and not in God Himself.

What I’ve realized is that we have to know there are forces at work to hide the fact that God Himself is our Highest Joy.

The world, enforced by Satan’s lies, can keep us pursuing fleeting pleasures even though we know how empty they are.

It is a moment-by-moment battle to think true thoughts and to keep our hearts centered on God for our fulfillment.

Paul warns us of what is going on behind the scenes to try to keep us from the knowledge of God. But he also reassures us that we have powerful weapons at our disposal to fight and destroy the lies of the enemy.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:3-5).

In speaking and dwelling on God’s truth our weapons are divinely powerful to destroy the strongholds of the enemy designed to hide the knowledge of God from us. Our job is to disagree with the lies and not allow them to be a part of us by agreeing with them.

For example, a lie might be that this or that ungodly act will bring the lasting fulfillment we so desperately need. And even though we know from experience that this lie is not true, our enemies’ ways are cunning and luring. We have a fight on our hands.

We must capture and unmask lies like these, thought by thought, to reveal them for the hideous deceptions that they are. Only in Jesus Christ will we find the lasting satisfaction, fulfillment and the joy we were created to experience.

You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound (Psalm 4:7).

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the NASB 1995 version of the Bible. The featured picture was generated by AI.

Continue reading (The Everlasting Way) Our Deepest Longings Filled →

Joy is Essential

Joy, an Experience of God (Published in Rhythms of Joy)

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This is the first post in a series entitled Rhythms of Joy.

In this series we’ll explore why joy is important, how joy fits into suffering, what kills our joy and how to experience joy.

Joy, an Experience of God

Joy is important. It’s not just a nice to have part of our lives.

Joy is an experience of God’s nearness.

Joy is commanded.

Having joy is a mark of being a follower of Jesus Christ.

Our joy in God brings Him glory.

Joy can easily be confused with happiness and sometimes they intersect, resulting in good feelings. Happiness is tied to happenings, but joy is much deeper.

The difference between happiness and joy might be illustrated by the difference between a ship and a submarine in a sea storm. The status of the ship is totally dependent upon the waves and the condition of the sea.

Whereas a submarine can travel several hundred yards below a hurricane and not be affected.

Since God is the source and fullness of all joy, [1] it has an eternal quality which is deeper than the circumstances we encounter. Like a submarine, joy is deeper than the storm.

Eternal Void

God created us with an eternal void. [2]     

Our hearts long to be satiated with a joy which can only come from God. He is the originator of joy. All earthy whiffs of gladness point to Him. Early in our lives we tend to experience joy much easier.

     

As we grow older, when the pains of life press in, we can lose the scent of joy and travel down long forsaken paths looking for lasting satisfaction.

Think about some things which brought you joy as a child.

Searching for Joy

As a child,  I remember the joys of snow, Christmas, the community pool and hanging out with my grandfather, Pop. My grandparents lived next to me growing up.

On summer afternoons, much to my delight, Pop hit me pop balls in the field in between our two houses.

As I got older and began to feel some independence, I remember thinking how happy and satisfied I’d be when I was old enough to drive and had my own car. I worked and bought an F85 Deluxe Oldsmobile and it did satisfy me for a short while.

Then I began to think that if I had a girl friend to ride in the car with me, I’d be happy and satisfied. I met Annie and that satisfied me for a short while.

Then I began to think that if I could move away to college, I’d be happy and satisfied. I moved away to Columbia, SC and attended the University of South Carolina and felt satisfied was for a short while.

Then I began to think about how satisfied I’d be when I  graduated college and began a life on my own.  And when I did, I felt satisfied for a short while.    

“There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing, but only by God the creator made known by Jesus Christ.” Blaise Pascal

The endless search for joy continued.

Eventually, I would surrender my life to the God, the source of all joy.  But it would be years before I fully understood that God Himself would satisfy the deep longings of my heart. As a young believer, I still tried to draw my happiness and sense of well being from my circumstances. And sometimes I still do.

I’m realizing now that the joy which exudes from God, satisfies the deep longing of my heart.

On top of that, the joy of God fills me with courage and strength.

A Matter of the Heart

It’s really a matter of our hearts, the well spring of our lives. [3]

The condition of our hearts determine our courage.

No wonder the French word for heart—”coeur” is where we get the word “courage”. The state of our heart determines whether we’re en-couraged or dis-couraged.

God’s joy fortified us with strength [4] and infuses us with courage. [5]  

Joy is like a nectar for our hearts. 

Since joy is more than a feeling, we can choose it, even during the hardest of times.

Joy is an awareness of the nearness of God. 

In Your presence is fullness of joy (Psalms 16:11b).

In the next post, we’ll continue to explore the importance of joy in our lives when we look at the commands to be joyful.

From 1 to 10, where would you say your joy meter is at this moment? 

Prayer

Lord, thank you for leading me to You. You are who I’ve been searching for all my life, though for years I didn’t know it. Only You satisfy me completely. I’m sorry for seeking my satisfaction in anything but You. Please show me quickly when I try and find lasting satisfaction apart from You. You are my Highest Joy. I praise You and rejoice in who You are.  Amen

Journal Time

With your journal in hand, spend some time thinking about your own journey. Write about the deep longings in your heart?  Document your search for joy. What have you tried other than God to satisfy your soul? How do you still depend upon your circumstances to feel okay? Write a prayer to God expressing your delight in Him. 

[1] Psalms 16:11

[2] Ecclesiastes 3:11 

[3]  Proverbs 4:23

[4]  Nehemiah 8:10b

[5] Hebrews 12:1-2

Please Check out the  Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

 

In Christ, Our Union with Christ, Seated with Christ

Rhythms: UP (Raised up With Christ)

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But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-6 NASB)

A central thread of the Bible is God’s desire to be WITH us. As believers, the Holy Spirit indwells us. Christ, not our own striving, is our source of Life.

In addition to Christ being in us, there’s another amazing dimension to our union with Him. When Christ was raised into newness of life, we believers were raised up with Him. Not only is Christ in us, but we are also in Him.

In his book, Union with Christ, Rankin Wilbourne writes that the word “Christian” is only used three times in the New Testament letters. However, Paul uses ” in Christ” 165 times to describe those who follow Christ. [1] 

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1 NASB).

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption (I Corinthians 1:30 NASB),

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (II Corinthians 5:17 NASB).

Being raised up in Christ is essential to who we are. Paul puts in this way in Colossians 3:3-4, “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

Being dead, and now hidden in Christ, adds far-reaching, glorious implications to our daily lives which we don’t want to miss. Let’s look at a few.

In Christ, We have a New Self

..in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Ephesians 4:22b-24 NASB)

We know our lives are now hidden in Christ. We’ve been raised with Him in newness of life. However, as mentioned before, we can still choose to walk in our old manner of life.

Paul gives a command to lay aside our old self, reminding us that it’s steeped in corruption. Lay aside – put off, put away.

So when we’re tempted to walk in our old ways, and we certainly will be, we’re to make a choice based on our renewed minds. Seeing clearly that our former way of living leads only to death, we can now choose life.

In this divine realization, we’re to put on our new self, turning away from the corruption of the old.  “Put on” has the connotation of sinking into as with clothing. It literally means to clothe ourselves. So, since our lives are hidden in Christ, we’re to walk in our new selves, created in righteousness and holiness.

What possible benefit, other than coddling fleeting, empty pleasures can come from engaging our old ways of living? It’s exactly what our enemy wants us to do, but we are not unaware of his lies. Our minds have been renewed.

and do not give the devil an opportunity (Ephesians 4:27 NASB) 

Story: Wilborne writes of a friend who was the person inside the Mickey Mouse costume at Disney Land. Reflecting on her time “in Mickey” she felt safe and loved, hidden in a different identity. “She recalled praying, ‘Lord, is this what it’s like to have masses of people run towards you with joy, excitement, and eagerness?'” [2] 

Rankin’s friend’s identity changed every time she took the Mickey costume off. Our identify in Christ does not change. The question for us is clear. Do we choose to put off our old self, steeped in corruption, and put on our new identify in Christ?

For me, it’s a moment by moment choice to put off the lies of the enemy and trust that in Christ I  walk in newness of life.

In Christ, We Have a New View

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth (Colossians  3:1-2 NASB).

In the above verses, Paul tells us how the truth of our position with Christ should change our perspective.

 Even though we physically live on earth, our view is to be from above where we’re spiritually seated with Christ. This means we’re to focus on  what God cares about, even in the midst of our daily activities. We’re to keep seeking (require, be about, aim at) the things above.  As our days unfolds, our higher desires should be on what God wants, not just a happy life.

What are God’s higher desires for us? Among other things, He’s at work conforming His children into the image of Christ [3]. He wants us to love others as Christ loves us. He desires for our words to be His words and our deeds to be in His strength, that He would be glorified in all we do. [4]

Focusing on what God desires for us, above our personal desires, doesn’t mean a joyless life. In fact, it means just the opposite. Orienting our lives from above means God Himself is our delight, not the trappings of the world. [5] Christ, the Source of all Joy, is our life, no matter what we face.

Story: Like many others, hard circumstances have occurred in my life which I can’t change. And believe me, I’ve tried!

Sad circumstances have threaten to discourage me and steal my joy. But I have a  growing trust in what God is doing from His eternal throne. I don’t want to ignore my grief, so I try and invite Him into it, but I don’t walk around in sadness. Over time, and through the difficulties, God is skillfully and lovingly, uncovering the lie that I need happy circumstances to be okay.

From my new view with Christ, I’m more an d more seeing my life from what God is doing to conform me into His image. With this is in mind, joy is growing, even in the midst of pain.

In Christ, We are Complete 

For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority (Colossians 2:9-10 NASB);

In the 1600s Bliase Pascal wrote that man’s cravings for true happiness can only be filled with an infinite, immutable object. He wrote that man tries in vain to fill this void with everything around him, seeking in (what is not) only what God Himself can give us. [6]  This came to be known as our God shaped void.

To summarize, we were created with an incompleteness that only God can fill .

Incomplete: not having all the necessary or appropriate parts, not full or finished. [7]  

Our problem is that, in our nagging sense of need, we attempt all manner of temporal ways to fill the void and feel complete.

  • Being loved by people
  • Our success in our different roles
  • Accumulating possessions
  • Happiness from smooth circumstances
  • Overloading our senses by living an epicurean lifestyle

These and other pursuits may partially fill the vastness of our souls, but each leads only to longings for more. We simply can not satisfy the deep longings of our soul with anything temporal.

The word “complete” in the above verse also means to make full, render perfect, fill to the brim, to receive fulfillment.

So, in Christ we’ve received the fulfillment our hearts have longed for. We are filled to the brim with Christ, lacking nothing.

But we must believe it and walk in it.

in Him (Christ) you have been made complete

Story: One evening, a few years ago I felt utterly undone.  My heart was filled with failure, disappointment and relational pain. It was close to midnight and I decided to take a walk up our road and across the two lane highway at the top. On the way “out” I surrendered my burdens to God the best I knew how.

When I  got to the end of the cul-de-sac across the highway and circled around to head back home, a deep peace invaded my soul. The problems seemed to be overshadowed by the Lord’s nearness. I pondered the truth of my completeness in Christ. I thought of being filled to the brim and overflowing with Christ. In those moments, all the burdens and pains were swept away in the awareness of this marvelous truth.

I’m complete in Christ, in need of nothing, no matter what I face.

Since that time, I’ve sometimes felt the same feelings of discouragement and incompleteness. But, I go back to the truth etched in my heart those years ago.

In Christ Jesus, I’m complete, lacking nothing. 

Conclusion

As believers, though we walk on this earth, we’ve been raised WITH Christ into heavenly places. Being “in Christ” is the best description of who we now are.

Though, as long as live on earth, we fight our fleshly tendencies, in Christ we’ve been made new creations. We can now choose to put off our old ways, laced in death, and put on our new selves, in Christ.

In Christ, we’ve been raised above the temporal view. We can see things from God’s greater purposes. As we orient our lives from God’s eternal perspective, what He desires becomes more and more what we want. The sufferings of this world, though very real and painful, do not define us or remain our focus. Setting our minds on God and His Kingdom, fills our hearts with joy, no matter what we face.

In Christ we’ve been made complete. Our deep inner longings, placed in our hearts by Father God, are completely satisfied in Christ. In Christ Jesus, we are completely forgiven, completely loved, completely valued and completely satisfied. In Him, we lack nothing.

Prayer

Lord, Wow! When I ponder these amazing truths about me being in You, it’s beyond belief. But You say it’s true and I trust You. Please help me not to loose sight of these facts as my days get busy and hard. When I’m tempted to try and make life work out for me in my own flesh, please remind me to put off my old self and walk in You, my Life. When I get caught up with the smaller story of how circumstances work out for me, please remind me there’s a greater, much more important story going on; Your story.

When a feel the nagging emptiness of measuring my life by temporal values, please remind me that in You I’m complete. When I’m tempted to live life apart from You, please remind me quickly that I’m in You. Thank you Lord. Amen.

Personal Study

Highlight II Corinthians 5:17-21

Explain it in your own words

Apply it to your life

Respond to God in prayer 

 [1] Union with Christ, Rankin Wilborne, David Cooke 2016, p. 13

[2] Union with Christ, ibid p. 53

[3] Romans 8:29

[4] I Peter 4:11

[5] Psalm 37:4

[6] Pensées, Blaise Pascal (Published in 1670 after his death)

[7] Siri Dictionary

Previous posts in the UP series:

Amazing Love

Essential Love

What Hides God’s Love

Christ Lives in Me

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Choosing our Affection, Complete Joy, Eternal Gladness, God is our Life

Our Highest Joy (Unmasking the Lie) (Republished in The Everlasting Way – The God-Shaped Void: Filling Your Deepest Longing)

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You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound (Psalm 4:7 NASB).

God Shaped Void

In the 1600s Bliase Pascal wrote that man’s cravings for true happiness can only be filled with an infinite, immutable object. He wrote that man tries in vain to fill this void with everything around him, seeking in (what is not) only what God Himself can give us. [1]  This came to be known as our God shaped void.

Solomon, known as the wisest man who ever lived, concluded that God has set eternity in the hearts of men. [2]

Deep within every human lies an unquenchable longing. Some have the means to try filling it with all the world has to offer, but coming up empty, they despair. Others hope the next accomplishment, relationship or pleasure will curb the longing. Unless awakened, folks keep on searching, endlessly hoping the next big thing will finally satisfy.

Awakened

Disillusioned, hopes crushed, my fragile world was crumbling around me. What I thought would bring lasting happiness left me disheartened, disappointed and empty. I felt like a failure – rejected and unloved.

This describes several “low” points in my life. I see now how I’d set my affections on God’s benefits rather than on God himself. At the time, I was  miserable. But looking back , I see these very hard times as severe mercies.[3] Each played a part in further dislodging me from an entrenched disillusionment. Only God Himself brings me the lasting satisfaction I so desperately desire.

Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward  Genesis 15:1b (NIV).

Deep Joy, the nectar our hearts were made far, can only me found in God Himself.

In Your presence is fullness of joy; Psalm 16:11b (NASB).

The Joy of God exudes from every sunset, every flower, every breathe.

I’m to draw near and stop trying to make happiness happen. I’m to take time to celebrate.

I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger and he who believes in me will never thirst (John 6:35 NASB).

If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’ (John 7:37b-38 NASB).

 Hidden Truth

There are forces at work to hide the fact that God Himself is our Highest Joy.  The world, enforced by Satan’s lies, can keep us pursuing fleeting pleasures to maintain fragile happiness. It is a moment by moment battle to keep our hearts centered on God for our fulfillment. These truths must move from things we believe as facts to principles we live by.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ  (II Corinthians 10:3-5 NASB).

These lies must be captured, thought by thought, and unmasked, revealing them for the hideous deceptions which they are. The truth is that only in Jesus Christ will we find the lasting satisfaction, fulfillment and the joy we were created to experience.

Prayer

Lord, I’m sorry for all I’ve chased after to try and satisfy the deep longings of my heart. Satisfaction can’t come from success because I’ve failed. It can’t come from pleasure because it quickly fades. It can’t come from people because they disappoint. It can’t come from trying to live a good life because I can’t.

You’ve given me so many things to enjoy: sunsets, puppies, flowers, ocean breezes, people I love, tea olives, chocolate, coffee, beaches and mountain streams. You are the Creator of it all. You alone are my Highest Joy. Only with You are other pleasures fully enjoyed. Apart from You, other pleasures can become addictions and idols. But with You, all moment by moment pleasures can erupt into praise for who You are and all You’ve provided for us to enjoy.

I delight in You Lord above all else. Please guard my heart.

Amen.

[1] Pensées, Blaise Pascal (Published in 1670 after his death)

[2] Ecclesiastes 3:11b

[3] I first heard this term from a book entitled A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Rivers of Living Water

Thirsty?

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As a kid, I loved neighborhood football games with my friends. We’d all dress up in our pads, donning our favorite team’s helmet. Mine was a white Baltimore Colt helmet, with royal blue horseshoes painted above the ear holes and Johnny Unitas’ number 19 on the back.

When I ride by our old neighborhood today, the friend’s yard we played in looks so small. However, we wore ourselves out chasing each other up and down the field in the heat of many a South Carolina afternoon. And, on the rare occasion when it snowed, we’d play smear the man with the ball.

At “half time” and at the end of the game we’d all line up to guzzle water from the garden hose attached to my friend’s house. To this day, the satisfaction of quenching my dry, parched throat with what seemed like gallons of gushing, cool water, is still etched in my memory.

Now that I think back on it, the water probably wasn’t that cold, but we relished the refreshing running water.

We were thirsty.

Addressing thirst, Jesus once said, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37b-38

Whether we realize it or not, we were created with a longing for more, a deep thirst.

The wisest man in the world once wrote that God  put eternity in the hearts of men.[1]

The plan is for our great thirst to be quenched by God himself, but so many of us have filled our lives with so much crap, we don’t even know we’re thirsty.

Perhaps that’s why Jesus said, “if” any man is thirsty.

If we’ve crammed our lives with possessions, achievements, pleasures, popularity and other earthly treasures, we may not even know we need Jesus.

However, nothing but Jesus comes close to satisfying our hearts.

When we realize this, we can move past the “if”.

Jesus invites us to “come and drink”.

Jesus wants us to recognize his presence and to draw near to him. He wants us to drink deeply and quench our thirst with his great love. He doesn’t want our lives to be filled with arduous self-effort, he wants our lives to be filled with him. When this is true, we can live lives of overflow.

Do you know you’re thirsty?

Come to Jesus and drink.

Drink of his nearness and his love. Rest in what he has done for you and yield to his Holy Spirit in you. When we recognize our tremendous need for him and depend upon him for our every word and deed, he will teach us to love others as he’s loved us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I’ve not always been thirsty for you. I’ve chased after worldly dreams and pleasures thinking they would satisfy me. But each empty pursuit only makes the longing grow. I know now that I’ve been thirsty for you all my life. Teach me how to drink deeply of your love. I want my life to be a life of overflow. Please flow from my life like Rivers of Living Water, that all who are in my path will be blessed and loved by you. Amen.

[1] Ecclesiastes 3:11