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Thirsty

The man or woman who does not have salvation is missing something essential. Whether they realize it or not, there is a Christ-shaped hole in their lives. So they try to fill the void with whatever they can find. Some throw themselves into works of mercy, which, while commendable, are not meritorious for salvation. Others throw themselves into false religions, some of which appeal to the senses and others that teach asceticism, but all deny the essential truth of Christ’s finished work.

Still others throw themselves into complete hedonism, living for the flesh and making no attempt to deny it. But Jeremiah 2:13 teaches us that to deny the fountain of living waters is to build for yourself a broken cistern. Instead of a ready supply of water to quench one’s thirst, one is left with something that looks like it will quench thirst but will not. The thirst remains. We can sometimes become discouraged when trying to reach out with the Christian faith. It’s not so much the opposition that discourages us, it’s the atmosphere of studied indifference. It often seems that the average person is completely indifferent to the offer of eternal life, but this is not quite so. While they may refuse the living water, they still know they are thirsty. The man who has abandoned himself to living for the flesh knows that the flesh will not satisfy his deepest need. He may proclaim his happiness to you; he may tell you he doesn’t need salvation; but you can be sure that when nobody else is around to watch, he cries the bitterest of tears.

Shawn Abigail / Uplook Magazine