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COME,
HAVE A DRINK!
- Bright Sam |
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As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.” (Psalms 42:1). David
was very good in expressing his emotions and feelings
with his eloquence. When a deer becomes thir sty roaming
around the wilderness for pastures, it hastily runs
straight until a stream is found, and drinks water to
its full. The deer obviously knows what it requires to
quench its thirst. It knows that it requires water, and
water is available in a stream. The Psalmist also knows
what his soul requires. It is the presence of God. David
also knew when his soul becomes weak and weary, where to
go and draw strength and comfort from. He knew God is
always there to quench his thirst. God is there to
comfort him. God is there to forgive his sins. God is
there to restore his joy of salvation. David knew that
only he has to go to God with a broken heart, with an
earnest longing acknowledging his sins.
It is a great advantage to know what one requires. Until
recently, people were ready to acknowledge their need of
God in life. But now with new philosophies and
scientific theories and atheism bombarding the minds of
all the people, they are not sure what they are lacking!
Most of them know that they lack something in life. But
what is it? Cut off from God and oblivious of their
spiritual selves, they float around searching for
purpose and meaning in life. The so called intellectuals
and scientists taught them that they are just grown up
worms resulting from evolution of billions of years. The
universe has been reduced to an “effect without a
cause.” Life is only a cosmic accident without any
purpose. In effect, human life is stripped of its
morality, dignity and destiny.
“There is no God; there is no life after death; there is
no spiritual world; and surely there is no heaven and
hell!” Thus proclaim atheists and 'scientists'. Modern
philosophers tried to prove that religion and God (gods)
are creations of man, to ward off fear of the unknown.
It is a crutch for the weak and fearful. Perhaps that is
true, at least for North India. Here we can see people
scared of all deities, and in order to please them, they
observe fasts, perform rituals and do all kinds of “good
works”.
The onslaught of modern philosophies and theories of
evolutionary science are confronting the common man from
all sides. Most of them don't have the strength to raise
even a question on this propaganda. The present
situation is disturbing. Young people are disturbed and
perturbed, and thirsty for something. For the atheists,
since 'there is no God', they never doubt that perhaps
the thirst is for God. They try to quench their thirst
with all other things possible. Making a career is one
way of quenching the thirst. Earning a lot of money and
spending it is another way to keep the thirst under
check. Some become workaholics to cover their
loneliness. The talented few turn to arts, music, dance,
acting, sports and the world of glamour. Some tries to
find purpose in pleasure of all kinds: foods, fashion
wears, wine and women, discos and parties. Others resort
to all kinds of addictions: alcoholism, smoking, drugs,
pornography, sex, etc.
Yet the thirst persists! The loneliness,
purposelessness, meaninglessness and the inner vacuum
persist, and weigh down the people with the burden of
life. In fact, all the above types of people are trying
to fill their life's vacuum with things instead of God.
They are trying to drink something which can never
quench their thirst. G.K. Chesterton said, “Every man
who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God.”
How true it is, but they are unaware of it.
In the modern society we can see the religiously
inclined also. They believe that there is a God (are
gods). But they are not sure how to approach Him (them).
They somehow know that their sins are to be forgiven and
atoned for. They believe that with “good works” they can
wipe away the debt of their sins. Their “good works”
include many kinds of weird rituals, taking bath in
'holy' rivers, undertake travels to 'holy shrines',
abstaining from certain foods, piercing their bodies,
walking of fire, sacrificing animals and even humans,
observing fasts, giving alms to poor, offerings to
deities, etc. But even after observing all the rituals
and doing all the “good works” they are not sure whether
their sins are forgiven or not. They are not sure
whether they have found God or not. They are not sure
what is like meeting God or to be in communion with Him.
See what Isaiah has to say about their rituals, “All our
righteous acts are like filthy rags” (64:6) before God.
Surely they are far from God. The soul still thirsts for
God.
In Jeremiah 2:13, God laments about Israel: “My people
have committed two sins; They have forsaken me, the
spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” The lament is
most appropriate for the present day modern generation
also. They are doing all sorts of things to quench their
thirst, not knowing that it is the “spring of living
water” that they should run to. They fail to believe
that Jesus Christ died on the cross two thousand years
ago as an atonement for their sins also. Only the blood
of Christ can wash their robes clean and white as snow.
Around two thousand years ago, on the last day of the
Feast in Jerusalem, Jesus stood before thousands of
people and, “said in a loud voice, “If anyone is
thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37).
Jesus is the spring of living water. Only He can quench
our thirst for God. The burden of sin can fall only at
the foot of the cross. What a privilege for all mankind
to have such an 'easy' way of salvation. Forgiveness of
sins and eternal life, so free that it is so good to be
true. But it is true! One has to observe no ritual,
undertake no travel, do no 'good work' and no need to
try to drink whatever filth is available.
One can come boldly at the cross of Jesus without any
excuse, ask for forgiveness of sins, and receive
salvation. And drink from the living water, and be
satisfied. One can have peace and joy which only Christ
can give. One can become a child of God in an instant!
What a miracle! And what a privilege! The cross of
Christ is spiritually still standing on Calvary, for all
the mankind to see. The atoning death of Christ offers
mankind the only way to the presence of God, the only
way to quench the thirst, the only way to fill the
vacuum of life, the only way to remove the burden of
sin, the only way to experience God's love and the only
way to salvation and eternal life.
One need not possess any qualification for that and need
not pay any price at all, and the offer is for all.
Christ has justified us by His sacrifice, and He has
already taken the punishment for our sins. He has paid
the price in full. God's love for mankind is so great
that He was ready to pay any price to grant man eternal
life and fill him with love, joy, peace and living water
to the full. “For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). What a
promise! It is to “whoever” believes. Christ is calling
today, “if anyone is thirsty, let him come and drink.”
God is waiting for “whoever believes in Christ” so that
He can grant him eternal life. God is telling the modern
generation, “Don't forsake the spring of living water,
and dig broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
The call is still open, and reverberates through the
ages: “Whoever is thirsty, let him come and drink;
whoever believes, let him come and receive forgiveness;
whoever wants life, let him come to the cross and
receive eternal life.” The joy of losing one's burden of
sin is tremendous. The peace and rest one can experience
in communion with God is inexpressible. Quenching one's
thirst and having a life overflowing with the living
water of the anointing of the Holy Spirit is the
greatest life one can dream of on earth.
This fulfilling of the dream of a life time is available
for all those who are just “willing” to come to the
cross. If you are willing, just repent of your sins,
believe that Christ the Son of God died on the cross as
an atonement for your sins, and He was buried and rose
from the dead on the third day. Confess with your mouth
that you believe in Him. Pray to Jesus to forgive your
sins, invite Him to come into your heart and you accept
Him as your Lord and Saviour. If you do it sincerely,
Christ will surely come to your heart, and you can have
the 'born again' experience. God bless you. |
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This page
is updated on July 3, 2009 |
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PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY
10 YEARS CELEBRATION
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