Hi First Presbyterian Church,
It's time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! During worship on Sunday, we read a passage from Exodus 17 about the Israelites fleeing Egypt and finding themselves in the desert with no water. Since then, I’ve been reflecting on the human need for water to survive. A person can only survive a few days without it. Water insecurity is a huge problem in many places in the world. 1 out of 9 (over 800 million) people in the world do not have access to safe water. The human body has a way of prioritizing its need of water over its other needs. After all, the human body is 60% water. This is one of the reasons a dehydrated person loses interest in food; their body tells them they need water more than they need food, so water is what they crave. Every year, over 1 million people die as a result of lacking access to safe water. How is that possible? Well, consider the fact, that more than 2 billion people in the world don’t have access to a toilet. No access to a toilet means sewage contaminates a person’s source of drinking water. Because our bodies crave water when they are dehydrated, we will drink any water we can get, even if we know it’s been contaminated. Our need for water drives our behavior.
I don’t mean to make light of this global problem by “spiritualizing” it, but I think this basic need for water is exactly what Jesus had in mind when he said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Imagine if we pursued God the way we pursue water - as if our lives depended on it. That’s what Jesus is trying to get us to see: our deep and fundamental need for what God has to offer us. Jesus is saying, when we recognize our deep need, and thirst to have that need met, we will be filled up.
There is a reason Christians have fasted during Lent over thousands of years – to remind ourselves that our need for physical sustenance is equally matched by our need to know and love God. Have you ever felt desperately in need of God? Picture yourself in the middle of the desert with no water. It’s 110 degrees. The sand is hot. There are no clouds. The sun is beating down. There is no shade. You can’t even sweat anymore. Your mouth is dry and parched. You would give anything for just a drop of water. Have you ever desired God as much as you might want that drop of water? Jesus is trying to help us understand that we do, in fact, have a deep and desperate need for God. Thankfully, in Jeremiah 29:13, the Lord says, “When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart.”
What Jesus did for us in his death and resurrection was to reconcile us to God. You can know God today because of Jesus. Jesus offers us a relationship with God… but only if we want it. Imagine one of your favorite musicians came to you and said, “I’m going to dedicate all my time to teaching you everything I know about music.” Imagine that! Maybe you’d be thinking, “I’m going to be able to play the guitar like Jimi Hendrix!” Or, “I can’t believe it! I’m going to be as famous as the Beatles!” That would be worth some excitement. But here’s the thing: none of that would happen unless you spent countless hours learning from that musician. You would only get out of it what you want out of it. This is how it is with our relationship to God. We must nurture that relationship, regularly and with intention. Lent is a perfect time to consider how you can do just that. As we await the story of Easter, never forget that the gift of Easter is already yours today. What is that gift? It is Christ himself, and he awaits you.
Peace to you,
Pastor Neff