Hungering and Thirsting After God
Where Waters and Bread Aren't Enough
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. (Psalm 42:1-2NIV)
This imagery is so vivid—a longing, an ache that only God can satisfy. Just as a deer instinctively seeks water to sustain its life, our souls are designed to crave the presence of God, the source of living water.
As the Deer Hymn
Jesus reminds us of this truth when He says: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4b NKJV) The Word of God is our sustenance—our spiritual bread of life. It nourishes, strengthens, and guides us. To hunger for God’s Word is to desire to know Him more deeply, to be transformed by His truth.
Jesus also revealed to the Samaritan woman at the well: Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:13-14NIV)
What an invitation! Jesus offers us a water that satisfies not just for today but for eternity. This is the living water—His Spirit—that quenches the deepest thirst and renews our souls, overflowing with life.
The promise continues in Revelation: The river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb... On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. (Revelation 22:1-2)
What a breathtaking vision of God’s abundant provision—a river that gives life eternally and a tree that offers healing to all nations.
Today, I encourage you to:
Thirst for His presence: Begin by quieting your heart. Set aside distractions, and invite God into your space. Speak honestly to Him, sharing your heart and your desire to know Him.
Feast on His Word: Open the Scriptures and meditate on passages that speak of His love, faithfulness, and promises. Let the Bread of Life nourish your spirit.
Worship in spirit and truth: Start your time with worship, just as Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer: "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." Declare His holiness and greatness, as the four living creatures do in Revelation 4:8: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
Lift your hands, sing, or simply bow in awe of His majesty. Worship aligns your heart with His.Expect God to show up: Approach Him with faith, believing that He desires to meet with you. End your time with worship, just as the Lord’s Prayer concludes: "For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever." Let these words echo in your heart as you step forward in faith.
As you hunger and thirst for Him, He promises to fill you to overflowing. Let His rivers of living water bring renewal, joy, and awe to your spirit. Come with expectancy, and watch how God moves in your life.
God's glory is near—welcome it and let it flow into every part of your being.