Tuesday August 31, 2021

Today is Tuesday, August 31 and this week we are exploring the concept of restoration and how it applies to the people of God.

As I enter a time of prayer, I pause and become still. I calm my thoughts and silence my mind. I breathe deeply and slowly, and center myself upon the presence of God.

Pause and Pray

Come Holy Spirit, speak to my heart and my mind in the name of Jesus Christ. I quiet myself and strive to pay attention to your still small voice. God, open my ears and teach me how to hear You. Help me learn to listen and comprehend what you are saying in my life. Amen.

Today I connect with the One who knows everything about me and loves me dearly. I rejoice in God’s goodness and listen for the divine truth found in the words of Psalm 42.

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. When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1-2

Pause and Pray

Jesus is the Living Water that satisfies the thirst of every soul. On the last day of the Jewish Feast of Sukkot, priests drew water from the pool of Siloam and ceremoniously carried it to the Temple. There was great rejoicing, dancing and singing as the water was carried up the hill in beautiful ornate pitchers. The priest then poured the water over the altar of the Temple asking God to provide water to bless the people and quench their thirst. At this very moment, Jesus stood up in the Temple and spoke.

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39

When God is absent from my life, I experience spiritual thirst or hunger. I know something is missing, but I can’t quite identify what it is. Like most people, I try to fill the emptiness within me with other things, worldly things, some of which are not healthy or good for me. This consumption satisfies me for a while, but eventually I return to a sense of emptiness inside. A longing for God is the greatest need of my soul. I thirst for God as a deer pants for streams of water.

Ask: Where are the dry and empty places within my spirit today? Do I recognize a thirst and hunger that I need God to fill?

Pause and Pray

Lord God, my soul longs for you. My soul is parched and thirsty and longs for the restoration that only you can provide. I am thirsty and want to come to Jesus, the Living Water, that promises to revive and refresh my spirit. I reread the words of John again and seek your message for me today.

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39

Ask: What word or phrase strikes me when I read this passage? What might God be speaking to me as I ponder this word or phrase in my heart?

The image of water and thirst is one that resonates with the deepest needs of the soul. I may not even be aware of the longing within me. God understands my needs better than I know them myself. Like a dry sponge I long to soak up every blessed drop of what the Lord offers. Jesus speaks to my thirsty soul and promises my deepest longings will be satisfied.

Pause and Pray

Holy Lord Jesus, I name the places in my life and heart that need the refreshment only you can provide. I accept your invitation to come to you and drink the water you offer. Pour out your Living Water upon me and refresh my soul. Amen.

Come, all you 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. Isaiah 55:1

As I leave this time of prayer and go throughout my day, I pray for the Holy Spirit to refresh me and that streams of living water will flow from me to refresh others in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.