Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Isaiah 41:17, ” The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. “

Background

My wife was telling me this weekend about her night spent working at the hospital. Since she generally works only one night a week, her twelve hours there are usually spent constantly on the go, attending to her patients and trying not to get behind on her paperwork. But in one of the rare cases where she actually had some time to talk with the other nurses, one of them was talking a lot about diet and the drinking habits of her friends. They seemed to place an inordinate amount of focus on being able to drink as many lite beers as possible while controlling their caloric intake. They didn’t want to sacrifice volume for calories, but they also did not want to be deterred in their quest of the effects of the alcohol. This weekend I also thought about the phrase, ” full of emptiness. ” It struck me as a powerful and true oxymoron, one that might apply to some of those lite beer drinkers. In their pursuit of a good time or a state of emotional bliss, the end result was full of emptiness. They sought water, but found none. Their tongues thirsted, but failed to be quenched. There are a lot of people like that out there. And what they are seeking cannot hear them. What they are filling themselves with does not satisfy. And it’s not just the ones out partying. I spoke to a group of believers about fear the other day, and one told me a few days later how she struggled with opening up and trusting. She was victimized by the very lifestyle she was choosing that was keeping her from developing friendships and giving her heart to someone special.

Application

At every turn, there is someone who probably has more emptiness than you could imagine. And only God can hear them. Only God will not forsake them. Only God will still be with them the next morning. You’ve known emptiness. Your hunger pangs remind you that only food will satisfy them. And only our God has the water that so many thirst for. If you’ve got a spot within you that’s full of emptiness, let the Lord be your destination. As for those around you, give them what they really need.

Charge

As we seek Him today, thank God for the fullness that He provides, and give to Him whatever emptiness you might be full of. And look at those around you as vessels longing to be full of God.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words