2025 Lent Devotional – Day 24

Lent Devotional: Day 24
Thirst for God
Rev. Dr. Samuel Richmond

Bible Passage: Psalm 42:2 “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”

St. Augustine, a renowned theologian, once said, “God has made us for Himself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in Him.” Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) referred to this restlessness as the God-shaped vacuum found in every human being. It is like a jigsaw puzzle where only one piece is missing and cannot be completed by any other piece. In an attempt to quench this spiritual thirst, people often turn to various directions and, at times, fall into addictions, seeking to satisfy themselves. However, the type of longing that humans experience can only be fulfilled by God. Lent serves as a time to recognize this thirst, stripping away distractions and focusing on our spiritual needs. Just as our bodies cannot survive without water, our souls cannot thrive without God’s presence.

The author of Psalm 42, likely observing a female deer panting and struggling to reach water, connects the deer’s desperate thirst to her own longing for the Lord. The psalmist places his desire to meet God in His temple at the center of his cry, revealing a thirst so deep that he weeps day and night. Despite his desperate situation, the psalmist places his hope in the Lord, confident that in God’s presence, he will find joy, rest, and soul satisfaction.

Sadhu Sundar Singh, in his writings, shares a beautiful story of a child in a garden. A little child wandered in the world’s garden, surrounded by beauty—flowers blooming, birds singing, and fruits ripe on the trees. Yet, the child was unhappy. His mother was nowhere to be seen, and he began to cry. Hearing the cries, the gardener approached, offering the child the sweetest fruits, one after another. But the child rejected them all, throwing them down and crying, “I don’t want them. I want my mother!” Finally, his mother stepped out from behind a bush. She took him in her arms, kissed his face, and wiped away his tears. In her embrace, the child found what he had longed for—not the gifts of the garden, but the presence of his mother. Sundar Singh reflects on this story as a depiction of his own journey, wandering in the world and longing for the true God to be revealed. When he encountered Christ, his longing was finally satisfied.

It is true that no gift or substitute can fulfill the soul’s deep yearning for God. Only when we come into His embrace do we find true peace, joy, and fulfillment. Believers are called to thirst for five essential things: the living God (Ps. 42:2; 63:1; 143:6), righteousness (Matt. 5:6), the spiritual waters of salvation (John 4:14; 6:35; Rev. 22:17; Isa. 55:1-3), wisdom and knowledge (Prov. 2:1-11), and the baptism of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). These desires reflect a deep longing for spiritual growth, fulfillment, and intimacy with God. Through Christ, God steps out from behind the “bush” of human separation caused by sin and offers us the intimate embrace of His presence. Jesus is the ultimate revelation of the living God, inviting us into communion with Him. He alone satisfies the deepest thirst of the soul in a way nothing else can. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).

As we recognize our own deep thirst, pause and ask ourselves, “What have we been trying to use to quench our thirst?” Let this question lead us to the truth that only Jesus, the living water, can truly satisfy our soul. During this season of Lent, seek Him daily—not as a ritual, but as a life-giving relationship. Set aside specific moments to meet with Him in prayer, reflection, and the reading of Scripture. Let Christ be the center of our focus, for He alone can fulfill your thirst. Trust that in His presence, your soul will be satisfied, and His grace will nourish you in ways nothing else can.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thirst for You, the living God. In this season of Lent, draw us closer to You and satisfy the longings of our hearts. May we encounter Your presence and be renewed by Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.