Spirituality, regardless of its tradition, is a universal trait of humanity. We are instinctively worshipping creatures. We are going to worship someone or something. So, we must ask ourselves, Who or what are we devoted to?
As someone who gains a great amount of peace and grounding from my devotional time with our Lord, I can tell you that removing that special blessing from my life causes me a considerable amount of discord and imbalance. Still fresh in my mind is the way that my recent relocation caused me to experience this. I can attend church services, study the Bible, and place myself in the service of others, but these disciplines pale in comparison to standing in the presence of God. I long for this.
Those who travelled to central Syria in the past have seen the large flocks of panting deer gather around the brooks of water. So subdued by their great desert thirst, one could approach quite near to them before they would flee. Deer need abundant water, and especially in hot climates during times of drought, they can be found panting and longing for it.
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
A devoted soul always thirsts for God. When a soul pants for God, some fate has caused spiritual communion to be withheld for a time. David no doubt experienced and voiced this while on the run from his enemies. His metaphorical thirst was not for knowledge or power, but simply for God himself.
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
Water, wine, and milk are symbols of spiritual blessings. Silver or gold cannot buy the blessing offered by God. Self-surrender is the only thing required of the one who receives this blessing. Many people in Isaiah’s day were not ready for the blessings of the coming Messiah because they did not sufficiently value them. They were too caught up in their present worldly circumstances and this was a tender encouragement for those people to become more spiritually minded. Those who thirst for and desire the spiritual blessings God offers through Christ Jesus are invited to come and partake of the glorious life and future God has provided for them.
Are you devoted to God? Do you thirst for the spiritual blessings he offers to those willing to receive them? Is standing in the presence of God a priority for you? Sometimes, a season in life will cause us to lose our grounding, but the sooner we return to our devotion of God, the sooner we will experience his peace.
In February, the Becoming Well blog will go silent. The focus my efforts will be on Physical Wellness over on the Becoming Well Facebook page. Please join us as we prepare for the Lenten Cleansing Diet that begins on February 26. I’ll be back on the blog in March to share some insights about Occupational Wellness.
Susi Robinson Rutz 