Joni And Friends Daily Devotional 18 June 2024, Tuesday Message
TOPIC: I Thirst
“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” – Psalm 63:1
The sensation of thirst seems rather straightforward. Our mouths and throats get dry from talking or exercise, and we simply throw cold liquid down the hatch. Presto, we’re not thirsty anymore.
The body, however, thinks of thirst in a much different way. Most internal organs have sensory nerves that monitor the level of water in their environment and signal changes to the brain. The hypothalamus is the region of the brain primarily responsible for monitoring the signals, sensing an increased concentration of salt in the bloodstream.
Our soul experiences its own kind of thirst. Those deep, inner longings we feel are simply the soul signaling to us that it needs something—comfort, affirmation, love. As with bodily thirst, our soul often lacks discernment as to what will best satisfy us. Too often we’ll look for satisfaction in someone’s opinion of us. We’ll feast our eyes on that which we covet. We’ll immerse ourselves in work, thinking that the fruit of our labor will one day quench our thirst.
Our soul, however, was designed to consume one thing, and one thing only: God. All other earthly pursuits to quench our thirst do just the opposite in comparison with God. The things we think will quench our thirst are simply laden with more “salt” of self-doubt, covetousness, and pride. Only God is pure, clean, and deeply satisfying to our soul. Only God meets every need. Only God ends the hopeless search for the soul’s true comfort, affirmation, and love.
Only God. Keep these two words echoing in your mind today.
Lord, create in me a thirst for you. Train my soul to know clean, pure refreshment. Train my soul for you.
Joni Eareckson Tada is an American evangelical Christian author, radio host, artist, and founder of Joni and Friends, an organization “accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community”.