Come to the Fountain

"Come, all who are thirsty,

come to the waters; 

and you who have no money, 

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk,

without money and without cost,

Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and you will delight in the richest of fare."

Isaiah 55:1-2

There's a story in John in which Jesus talks to a Samaritan woman at a well. There's a myriad of lessons to learn from the conversation that he has with her, but the one that God has hurled at me on numerous occasions in the past 2 weeks has been one of living water. Of thirsting for God. Of desiring God. Of needing Jesus. Instead of just worshipping God, talking about him, or seeking after him; actually NEEDING him. There's a difference, I think. We were created to worship, human beings were. Whether we worship ourselves, our money, our grades, whatever it is, we worship constantly. Man, I got off topic already.

I'm writing tonight because I want to express what God has taught me recently. That's usually why I write on here at all. But for some reason this time it seems special. Over the past 2 weeks, God has showed me what living a life of worship requires. Actually, in reality, all of this semester that's what He's been showing me. The idea of thirsting for God. What does that mean? 

It's funny because thirst is something that is a very physical and relatable feeling for all of us, even as we live in privileged families in 21st century America. We've all been thirsty. We've all had that dry-mouth feeling. We know what that feels like. Let's be honest here, it sucks. I hate being thirsty. Literally the only thing on my mind when I'm thirsty is how I can get something to drink. My mind is fixed on who I can talk to, where I could go, what I could do, all to just get a little drink of water. I need it. 

Now, I don't know the Hebrew or Greek translation of the original text in Isaiah 55, but I think it's very interesting that the writer uses the word "thirsty". As I said, it's so relatable. To think that he uses it in the context of knowing God... We see this also in the Psalms when the Psalmist writes: "You God, are my God, Earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you" (Psalm 63:1). This is what I want for my life. This is not even a little bit close to what I'm in currently. At this point I'm just praying that God will do a work in my heart to give me the desires to know Him better. You see, thirsting for God means so much more than just worshipping him or talking about him. Thirsting for God requires humble dependence. Letting go and accepting that HE is the only thing that satisfies. It means realizing that it's him that I want. It's not my reputation, it's not my grades, it's not good health, it's not how I look, it's not how people view me, no, it's not even about my desires to let loose and go running back to old vices that used to grip me so tightly. It's humility. The humility to say, "God, I need you more than I need X" Where X=EVERYTHING. 

So hopefully that expressed the lesson God has taught me about what it looks like to need him...? Not sure if that's even the best way to put it. Whatever. But now I want to briefly talk about how despite my need for God, I continually run to a multitude of other things fully believing that they will "quench my thirst" (if you will). What is it about this world that so tempts and convinces me that I can be satisfied elsewhere? Is it the way our bodies are designed? Am I wired to believe in the lies that are told to me on a daily basis? Simply put, the answer is yes. It is a direct result of the sinful nature of man that can be traced back to the garden with Adam and Eve. Is that an excuse to just throw the towel in and accept that we're broken, sinful people? Absolutely not. If that were the case, passages like Psalm 63 and Isaiah 55 wouldn't exist. Actually, the entire Gospel wouldn't exist, but that's beside the point right now. Back on track, the reality of the world is that it appears satisfying in every way. For me, the party scene, financial security, a good reputation, beautiful women, and material possessions are all at the top of a very long list of things that look attractive and satisfying. However, when those things are achieved or obtained, I find time after time, that they are not true. That they are empty. Full of...emptiness. Even after my 2,333,496th time running back to something, it stays constant...but constantly empty.

There is something more. Jesus offers eternal life for those that drink from the fountain of life. I don't know how well I'm getting my point across. But honestly, I'm just rambling at 1AM. I think it's about time I go to sleep. I'll leave you with the words of a Rend Collective Experiment song:

"I need you, Lord

But I want to need you more...

I am broken but I'm running towards you, God"

Pray for me.