Dying Of Thirst

FriNov192010 PostedFriday, November 19, 2010 @ 3 AMByKaj BallantyneTaggedNo tags

O God,
you are my God;
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
(Psalm 63:1)

Before we were married, Libby and I did an adventure race together. It was 3 intense days and nights of hiking, canoeing, climbing, rappelling and mountain biking.

Very quickly into the race we all noticed how aware we were of our bodies need for water. During "regular" life I really never paid attention to how much water I drank unless I was terribly thirsty, but now that I was thrown into an extreme situation where dehydration could be perilous I was amazingly aware of my need ... we even witnessed one team air lifted out because two of their team mates were unconscious due to dehydration!

When the race was over and I found myself sitting at home during the next week being caught off guard by an overwhelming sense of "I gotta get some water!!" Slowly, as the days passed, I became less and less aware of my oncoming thirst and soon was back to not ever giving it a second thought ... and not drinking very much water even though my body still required it.

Why was I no longer aware? Why didn't I care about my health? The only difference was that I was no longer living in the intensity of the adventure race. The Psalmist cries out that he is thirsty ... dying of thirst for more of God. He recognizes his need for God and he recognizes his surroundings are bleak and dangerous.

When I wake up in the morning am I acutely aware of my need for God and for His Word? Am I living with my spiritual eyes open to the mission that I have been called to? Or do I cruise along not giving a second thought to the mission and my desperate need of Him? When our lives are truly on mission (living the adventure of serving Christ ... deeply engaged in living for His purposes) we will awake each morning with the desperate thought of "I gotta get into the Word!!" We live in a dry and desolate land where we are under attack daily by Satan ... where our families are living in a spiritually dangerous world.

My prayer is that each day we would live in heightened awareness of our desperate need for God and His Word. May you wake up tomorrow morning with your eyes opened to the need you have:

* husbands and fathers - to love, lead and protect your family.
* wives and mothers - to love and care for your family.
* grandparents - to be a support and example for your family.
* young people - to be a light in your world and family.
* single men and women - to seek God for today and your future.
* single parents - to have strength as you carry the load of both mom and dad.
* For all of us no matter what stage of life - to be on mission for Jesus Christ wherever He has placed us and living in the light of His grace.

May we each wake up tomorrow morning and jump into the Word with an awareness of our need ... and with the confidence that God is all powerful and all loving and seeks to take care of our needs.

Living by His Grace,

Kaj

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