How shriveled and dry must my soul be in sin,

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Ps 42:2 (ESV)

Yes, my soul, I thirst for that which my sin denies me:

The living God who created me,

The living God who is my purpose,

The living God who is my destination.

If He were not denied to me by my sinfulness,

Surely I have refused the quenching of my thirst,

As I have chosen to quench my sinful thirst with sin.

How vast, how infinite must the thirst of my soul be,

That only the living God can quench it.

How shriveled and dry must my soul be in sin,

For in my sin, I am without Him who fills all in all. (Ep 1:23)

Rejoice, O my soul, for the living God bids me to come,

To come with my thirsting soul, come to the waters,

Though I have no means to buy,

He bids me come and drink without money or price. (Is 55:1).

Rejoice, O my soul, for the living God promises that

That when the poor and needy seek the living water,

And there is none,

And their tongue is parched with thirst,

He will quench their thirst,

He will not forsake them (Is 41:17).

As you thirst in your sin for the living God, O my soul,

The Lord met me in my sin, and owned my thirst,

And having drank the cup of God’s wrath,

To satisfy the thirst of my sin,

the thirst of my soul,

He says, “I thirst.” (Jn 19:28)

And to satisfy the thirst of my soul,

He is pierced and makes Himself,

a well even in death,

pouring forth living water from His side. (Jn 19:34)

And it is He alone who has met me in that same water in Holy Baptism,

And there He gives me to drink of His living waters,

To drink of the resurrected and living God.

And now out of my new heart,

He makes to flow rivers of living water, (Jn 7:38)

And I shall thirst no more for the living God, O my soul.

-pmwl