Thursday, Dec 12

Scriptures: Psalm 143:6 (NLT) – “I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.”

Psalm 119:130-131 (NLT) – “The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. I pant with expectation, longing for your commands.”

Message: I remember sitting in my elementary school art class, creating some marvelous masterpiece, when all of a sudden, I became thirsty. Really thirsty. Since I couldn’t leave the room to get a drink, I tried to focus on my project. But the thirst didn’t go away. In fact, it only became more intense.

In a moment of deliriousness, I found myself reaching for the bottle in front of me and lifting it to my lips, seeking to quench this awful thirst that had invaded my body. But the bottle wasn’t filled with water; it was filled with glue. Needless to say, the first taste brought me out of my daze, and I grabbed the nearest paper towel to wipe it out of my mouth.

As I think about this experience, I wonder how thirsty I am for God’s Word. Am I so thirsty that I get delirious without it? Do I immerse myself in His Word, meditating on it and memorizing it? David wrote, “I pant with expectation, longing for your commands” (Psalm 119:131). Can I honestly say the same thing? Can you?

Prayer: Lord, give us a thirst for You and Your Word. We want to be a people who long for You, who are constantly watching to see when and how You are going to show up. May we turn to You in this season with a posture of expectation, lifting our hands high to receive Your voice, Your love, and Your Words as You rain down on us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Kari Bartkus
First Brethren Church
Huntington, Indiana