March 24, 2008

 Are You Thirsty?

The commercials tell us that Gatorade is the Thirst Quencher, but somehow on the cross when Jesus said I thirst I don’t think Gatorade would have done the trick. The soldiers provided him with vinegar when He said I thirst, but somehow, I don’t think that satisfied the thirst of His spirit. Jesus knew His assignment, He knew what was expected of Him and He knew that He had to finish His race. Jesus’s declaration at that moment was “I thirst!” I don’t believe he was talking to the soldiers or the people standing around. I believe Jesus was crying out to His father in a time of need saying I need something. I have hit a wall. I am parched, dry, broken, I can’t do any more.

No matter how saved we are, we — like Jesus — have hit that wall. If you can be real about it, we have had some dry days, moments, hours, months and even some dry years. You could speak in an unknown tongue, pastor, preach, pray, praise, worship and move the hand of God for yourself and others yet you still found yourself dry. Going through the motions, not understanding what was going on or why. Believing that you were doing just what God wanted you to do and yet you still found yourself thirsty. Studying the word, preaching the word, singing the word, at the church every time the doors opened and still dry.

Hitting a wall of indecision, frustration, disappointment, fear, loneliness, rejection, pain and hurt. Jesus acknowledged his need at that moment by his simple statement “I thirst”, he asked for something to meet his need. Jesus needed His thirst to be quenched by the only one that was able to do it. He wasn’t talking to the soldiers or the lookylous. He chose to sit under the faucet of His Daddy based on their relationship.

When you find yourself at that place, a place of dryness, a place of brokenness what faucet do you sit under? Do you choose God’s faucet of love, grace, mercy, understanding, wisdom, forgiveness and hope?

Do you choose God’s faucet of obedience, trust, faith and submission to His will or do you fall back on some of your old habits? Do you sit under the faucet of 2 am booty calls, manipulating situations to get what you think will satisfy only to find at the end of the day it didn’t satisfy you any more this time than it did the last time.

Have you chosen to sit under the faucet of the crack pipe, lying, cheating, stealing, tearing other folks down to lift yourself up, pulling on someone else’s emotions when you know you are not interested you just want to be stroked or keeping mess stirred up to keep the focus off you and what God is trying to reveal in your life? Have you used the mask to cover up what was really going on with you, pretending that everything is okay and you really aren’t thirsty-in need?

Did sitting under any of those faucets satisfy?

When you hit the wall, when you get thirsty, when you are in need, can you honestly acknowledge the need and ask for help from the right source? Thirsty, dry times are difficult, but God is more than able to see you through your times of desperation and disappointment if you ask Him too. He did it for Jesus and He can do it for you. Other folks will try to give you what they think will meet your need, some of them with a real desire to help you while others real desire is just to see what you will do. How are you going to handle your thirst? They are looking to see if you are going to follow through or back up and let’s be real some of them are waiting for you to fail.

First, Jesus acknowledged that He had a need. In order to get a need met the first thing we have to do is acknowledge that there is a need. We have to acknowledge that we don’t have it all together. How many times have we gone without because we were to prideful to tell anyone, even God what our need was? We didn’t want anyone to know we were struggling. Maybe it was emotional, physical, spiritual or relational. Maybe it was loneliness, worry, fear, financial, or an addiction that will not go away? Acknowledge the need and be specific.

Second, we have to ask for help from the right source. The bible says we have not because we ask not. Jesus asked for His need to be met. I don’t think he was talking to the soldiers and the lookylous that were standing around. I believe Jesus was talking to His Daddy, the one He knew could actually get Him through this rough moment.

What source do you go to when you need help? What faucet do you sit under to quench your thirst? It is good to identify where you went the last time you had a need and how satisfying it really was. Was it the faucet of crack, alcohol, a 2am or midnight booty call? The time doesn’t matter the results are the same. Was it stealing, lying, gossiping or manipulating others to get your way? Maybe it was raiding the refrigerator. Was it faking and wearing a mask to let every one believe everything was all right when you knew that it wasn’t? Pretending like you really aren’t in need. Was it getting in everybody else’s business instead of getting your stuff straight?

What faucet did you sit under the last time to quench your thirst? What were the results? Was your thirst quenched? Did any of those things move you closer to the place that God had ordained for you?

Acknowledge the need. Ask for help from the right source, then, accept the answer God has for you. Jesus knew that the only thing that would satisfy His thirst was His relationship with His father. When you experience your time of dryness, thirst, your time of deepest need sit under God’s faucet of love, forgiveness, caring, compassion, grace and mercy. God’s faucet of trust, faith, obedience and submission to His will. Trust God to meet your need, to satisfy your thirst like he did for Jesus. He already knows what you need and is waiting for you to come to him with it. He is the only one that can quench your thirst.

Don’t believe the hype, you won’t find it in Gatorade, inspite of what the commercials say, you won’t find it in another person, crack, gossip, somebody else’s business or singing just the right song. The answer to your thirst problem is found in:

• developing your relationship with God because He is the real thirst quencher,
• the answer is found in your obedience to God’s direction, purpose and plan for your life even when it is difficult.

Even when things get hard like they did for Jesus, keep drinking from God’s faucet, trust God and finish your race no matter how thirsty, parched or dry it gets.

Weekly Scripture:
John 19:28: 28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”[a]

We just worked out spiritually. If you have not worked out your physical temple get up and join us in the:

New Beginnings 2008 Workout Focus
10,000/steps per day or 70,000/steps per week Walking Program*

This is the fitness opportunity that New Beginnings is promoting for 2008. It is simple and easy and almost everyone can participate at whatever level of fitness they are at. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes, comfortable clothing, a pedometer, and you're all set.

For further discussion contact contactus@mynewtemple.org or write to us on the message board http://mynewtemple.org/aMessages.html or the Fitness Blog http://mynewtemple.org/wordpress/