After going to Israel and
learning what it really feels like to hike through the desert and find a
waterfall in what seems like the middle of nowhere, I’ve been in love with the
concept of God being our ‘Living Water’ and how our souls should always thirst
for Him. The following quotes are from one of my favorite songs by Chris
Tomlin, called “Waterfall.”
“You’re more than I could long for, I thirst for you.”
“Your love is like a waterfall raining down on me.”
“Oh God, my God I seek you, in this dry and desert
land.”
“You’re an ocean to my soul.”
“It’s coming like a flood, I’m dancing in the rain,
everything I’ve done, is covered in rivers of grace.”
("Waterfall
Lyrics." CHRIS TOMLIN LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2015.)
Now think back to a time when you pushed yourself
through a really intense workout and felt like you might collapse if you couldn’t
get a drink of water. Try and remember a time when your mouth was dry, and the
only thing on your mind was getting just one little sip of water. Imagine
yourself hiking through a desert in 110 degree weather, not having any water. And
if being thirsty for water isn’t something you can really connect with, then
think of something you’ve longed for or desperately wanted for so long. Maybe you’re
an athlete and what you’ve always wanted was to one day set Olympic world
records. Maybe there’s some place you want to travel to and you’ve been saving
up to go there your whole life. Or maybe you lost someone very close to you and
the only thing that you truly desire is to see them again. Whatever it is,
everyone longs, desires, or thirsts for something.
This waterfall concept is that the
one desire for our hearts, should be for the one that gave us breath, gave us
life, and gave us souls in the first place. We should be so desperately thirsty
for God, that we will do whatever it takes to get closer to him. Too often we
become somewhat satisfied with the ‘water’ this world gives us. We settle for
worldly things, rather than seeking our God, who can sustain us completely with
his Living Water.
“For 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.” –Jeremiah
2:13
The only thing that will ever truly
satisfy one’s soul completely, can only be found in God. Sometimes it takes us
to wander around in the desert awhile until we realize that all along God was
waiting right there, ready to sustain us with his Living Water.
When I was in Israel, I had the opportunity to hike through
the desert to an oasis called En Gedi. (Ein Gedi). After wandering and hiking
around for hours, the last thing I thought I would see was a beautiful
waterfall. But then there it was, and that moment inspired me to write the
following poem…
Take Me Back to En Gedi
Take me back to En Gedi
Where your Living Water flows
Where it was easy to find you, to
hear you, to seek you
Take me back through the desert
So my wandering hearts breaks
So the eyes of my soul open
So I’m completely lost until I find
your face
I desperately know that I need you
desperately
But the things of this world won’t
let me escape
Like David found En Gedi
Where Living Water overflowed
Lead me back to your embrace
Take me back to En Gedi
Bring me down to my knees
My heart is drying up quickly
Let your love wash over me
Lead me to your waterfall
I’ll dive as deep as I can
So I can immerse myself in your grace
And be near you once again
This dry and barren land
Is getting the best of me
God I need your Living Water
Rain down your love on me
Take me back to En Gedi
I’m ready to hike
I’m prepared to be broken
I’m ready to fight
To fight against my weary soul
To run from all that holds me back
To humble myself before your throne
If that’s what it takes to be brought
back
Back into your promised home
Oh Abba, Living Water
Forgive me for my wrongs
Cleanse me once again in your
waterfall
Take me back to En Gedi
Now my sins are no more
My savior has freed me
I can swim in your love once more
Living Water I need you
Not just now but always
I’ll follow you through the desert
Through the valley through the storm
Through the wadi to En Gedi
Where Living Water flows
I could stay here forever
In my Abba’s waterfall
How
do we become thirsty for only God in a world with so many other distractions?
Honestly, I’m still working on that every day. It is always going to be a
battle deciding what you truly desire in life and what is really important.
However, I will say that the more chances you get to satisfy your soul with
Living Water, the more you realize that nothing else will ever be able to sustain
you the way that only God can. Also, remember that sometimes feeling like your
trapped in a desert isn’t such a bad thing. Usually, this is where you finally
realize that there’s a waterfall right around the corner waiting for you to
jump in and experience God’s love.
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