water for the thirsty

have you ever had a day where you forget to drink anything?

maybe a cup of coffee (or 4) in the morning, maybe a stop by a water fountain with your kids at the park

(or a dixie cup from the office water cooler).

no drink with lunch, the afternoon slides by so fast.

maybe you felt thirsty at some point, but you were SO busy that you couldn't stop. the thirst passes, so you forget to grab a drink when you can.

home late- make dinner- talk to spouse & children- bedtime routines for kiddos- clean up the house.

you finally slow down at 8:00 that night & you have a nagging headache.

a few aspirin should do the trick, so you pour a glass of water to take your pills.

the moment the water hits your mouth you realize you are

massively thirsty...

cold, sweet, refreshing, & filling; the entire glass is gone before you even remember to take your aspirin.

another glass- slower this time, but it just washes into every part of you that was tired & dry. it satisfies a part of you that you had pushed down all day long- you forgot that you were thirsty, and you forgot how completely filling a tall glass of water can be.

sound familiar?

this is my life, and God's Truth in the Bible is the water.

i go and go and go- i push and fight and play and parent and laugh and whine and weep and pursue and run and think.

and i'm so thirsty.

nothing fills every aching, longing, exhausted part of my life like a clear message to my innermost heart from the Lord.

no word from my husband, although he is amazingly wise and loving.

no encouragement from my friends, although they are insightful and bold with me.

even a well-delivered, arrow sharp (directly sent to challenge my heart) sermon from a pastor and friend is only a piece of my growth in relationship with God (albeit an important piece)!

i believe without a moment's hesitation that the Bible is meant for us to read- to drink in Truth, to meditate on beauty, to ask God our deepest questions and fully, patiently wait for His answers.

we can seek Him and find Him when we seek with all our hearts.

(jeremiah 29:13)

we can know the Truth, and the Truth will set us free.

(john 8:32)

we who are dry and thirsty can be made like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters do not fail.

(isaiah 58:11)

do you have a Bible study group you attend?

do you have a method for reading & learning on your own?

i do, and i would love to share it with you.

it is a beautiful cup to drink in Truth.

i say 'cup' because any Bible study is simply a method- a vessel for drinking in the Scriptures yourself. a construct for opening your Bible, reading & searching for meaning, praying for understanding, and asking boldly for fruit to grow in your life as a result.

there are many 'cups'- if you live in st. louis, you have a large number of wonderful Bible study programs available to you- both through churches and Christian organizations.

any time of day,

any day of the week,

with or without childcare,

with every imaginable method of Bible study available to you.

i take it for granted, honestly.

if you want to share about a Bible study method you enjoy or a class you attend, please feel free to share it in the comments! i'd love to compile a resource for women in our community... a list of all the available 'cups,' if you will.

yes, i am purposefully not advertising for any specific church, study method or Bible study group here... i'm all too wary of offending, alienating, or misrepresenting people or organizations. i am not suggesting that any one method, mine included, is THE BEST (although i do prefer my particular class for myself). if you are interested in checking out the class i attend or any that you read about in the comments, i'd love to put you in touch with the right people! you can leave your e-mail address in the comments or contact me directly.

final disclaimer... please don't shout 'legalism' at me! : ) legalism involves laws and rules (it also implies judgement and condemnation), and i hope you're not reading that here. while i am far from perfectly impartial, i am truly not passing judgement on anyone, any faith, any method, or even a lack of method. i'm suggesting that there is something beautifully satisfying in reading, praying, wrestling with and discovering God's Truth in the Bible.

that is all.

"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;

and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!"

(isaiah 55:1)