I need a drink

I’d like you to meet our daughter, Danielle. She has some great thoughts and I’d like to share them with you. Let us know what you think!

I have this water bottle that I greatly enjoy. It keeps my cold drinks cold for twenty-four hours and my warm drinks warm for twelve hours. I carry it with me everywhere. At the beginning of the day I put ice cubes in it and fill it with water and then I start my day.

But I’m having a problem with it. It’s not helping me stay hydrated. Why? Because I don’t drink out of it.

I carry it around when I walk from place to place in my office complex. It sits on my desk while I work. It’s sitting six inches from my hands as I type this. But I don’t drink out of the bottle. When I’m thirsty, instead of grabbing my bottle, I run upstairs and grab a Coke from the fridge which becomes room temperature in about thirty minutes. Or I head to the café to grab a coffee (which dehydrates me) that will turn cool in an hour.

But my water bottle is sitting beside me, untouched. Instead I grab things that look more appealing but end up leaving me just as thirsty as I was before. Then I complain to myself.… “I am SO thirsty. I should go buy a soft drink.” or “I’m parched. I should grab a coffee!” All the while my ice cold water is sitting beside me, ready to quench my thirst.

Doesn’t this sound oddly familiar? Let me put it this way…

I have five Bibles. I HAVE FIVE BIBLES. I also have a version of the Bible on my phone (I guess you could say I have six Bibles). So, I literally carry my Bible everywhere. It comes with me to my office. It’s in my car with me. I take it to the café. To be perfectly honest, it even comes to the bathroom with me on occasion. My Bible is everywhere I am.  

But I’m having a problem with it. Why? Because I don’t drink out of it.

I run to other things to gratify when I’m dry and expect my thirst to be quenched. I run to others for advice about a situation. I want someone to give me a ‘word’.  I go to songs, movies, self-help books, and blogs to make me feel better, while the ultimate Thirst Quencher is sitting six inches from my hands.

At the end of the day I’m dehydrated. I feel drained and my soul is parched. I feel empty. Then I sit and whine about how God doesn’t answer my problems. “He doesn’t respond to me when I talk to Him.” or “I feel like He’s ignoring me.” or ask “Where is God?” Yet I refused to consume the only Drink that would satisfy.

I failed to realize He’s ready to pour me a Drink, but I missed it because I keep going to coffee bars instead of my Water Bottle.

Drinking water (the liquid kind) takes discipline. Especially for someone like me who is attracted to flavor and bright colors. But if I go too long without water my skin dries up, I feel tired, I become confused, irritable, and my head hurts.

It’s the same way with real Water. It takes discipline. And when I go too long without drinking in the Word of God, my spirit gets dry. I can’t let myself get spiritually dehydrated. I must pour in so I stay healthy and hydrated. So I have a reservoir to pour from.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go have a drink of water.