Always thirsty

For the past few weeks I’ve been considering what the Bible says about spiritual warfare. That is, what does God prescribe in my constant battle against sin, temptation, selfishness and fears? And what does He say about praying for those who are caught in the web of lies that Satan uses to keep people from knowing God and His Son?

This study has included everything from large, over-arching principles to small tips for battle. Most days, it hit me where I was at. (Who says the Bible isn’t practical!) Some days I may not have related to the verse, but was reminded that I should. Like everyone else, my thinking has gaps and my brain has favorite places to park. The gaps need filling and my thinking taken to new spots that God knows I need to visit.

Btw, yesterday was good, normal, with lots of hugs and laughing. We had a family meal and did a crossword puzzle, went for haircuts, and did mountains of laundry. God is good.

Today’s verse is the last in this series, but a good place to park for awhile: “And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.’” (Revelation 21:6-7, NKJV)

Jesus stands before me with a never-ceasing offer; I can have the water of life anytime I need it (which is most of the time). He also makes a never-changing promise; because I am an overcomer, I will inherit all things . I am His child. There is strength and stability in these things.

However, most of the time I feel weak and shaky, unable to deal with so many challenges and responsibilities. God tells me that when I am weak, I am strong, strong in His power. The odd part of faith is that others might see the power, but I feel the weakness.

So many people think that a ‘victorious’ Christian is powerful, confident, and lives with great assurance. While that may be part of it, a person of faith also feels weak and unsure, even as they are living with confidence in God. In fact, if I feel only confidence, I’m instantly suspicious that it is self-confidence rather than faith. If I feel only courage, I’m thinking this is assumption, not faith.

The Christian life is holding my humanness, weakness, and the sense of being unable in tension with being aware of the presence of God, and trusting His power and ability. It is never either/or, and I only have to read about Jesus to realize this truth. He was God in human flesh, and even though that was true, He did not cling to the reality of His identity, but became a servant, suffering all the things human beings suffer. In coming to our level He tells me that it is okay to be human, to feel weak and helpless. The key is not how I feel but who I trust.

Sometimes the sense of weakness tips the scale. That is not a bad thing. It keeps me from living in my own strength (as if I had any) and motivates deeper trust. As for tipping it the other way, I don’t think it is possible to have too much faith, too much awareness of the power of God. I never have enough—and that is what Jesus means when He talks about being thirsty.