Journey to the Cross

Pause

We are thirsty for many things.

What do you thirst for today? Why do you thirst for this thing?

Might this thing tell of a deeper thirst?

Listen

The whole Israelite community broke camp and set out from the Sin desert to continue their journey, as the Lord commanded. They set up their camp at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people argued with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”

Moses said to them, “Why are you arguing with me? Why are you testing the Lord?”

But the people were very thirsty for water there, and they complained to Moses, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”

Exodus 17:1-3

Think

We love to blame others for our problems. Watch the TV or your social media feed to see the blame we cast on others. We blame others for not eliminating the source of our fears as if the act of blaming will make us feel better. It’s like drinking soda when your body feels thirsty. It tastes good at the time, but later you still feel thirsty.

Our goal is not to quench the fear with blame. Instead, fear presents an opportunity to remember God’s mission and provision for us in the past. Fear presents an opportunity to form relationships, to broaden our understanding, and to work together to deal with the threat.

God’s mission is reconciliation — between God and us and others. This begins when we recognize our real thirst: to be in healthy relationships with God, self, and others.

Quench your thirst for a relationship with God and others! Feel the fear, stop the blame, and trust God. Seek understanding; seek the healing of relationships; seek solutions to the real threats through listening, love, and mercy.

Kellie Wilson

Pray

Lord, I fear so many things, and I thirst for safety. Help me to turn away from blame as a way to quench my thirst. Instead, help me to reach out to the very person I want to blame and to trust your work within us to find solutions together to the threats and problems around us. Amen.

Go

We all thirst for a sense of identity and mission. We thirst to know who we are and what we are called to do.

Ultimately, it is God who tells us we are beloved. This good news is water for our thirsty souls.

Now go and give this water to the thirsty.

Go and let others know they are beloved through your words and actions.