Quench Your Thirst

by Tracey McMahan 

I drink a lot of water. If you meet me on any given day, you’re bound to find a water bottle in my hand – green or blue, depending on my outfit. After all, a girl has to coordinate, right?

Experts say that drinking water is an absolute necessity for good health. The Journal of American Medicine reminds us that water is the second most important nutrient for the body, after oxygen, and that most Americans drink a third or less of the suggested daily amount - eight 8 ounce glasses.

But although my health is important to me, that’s not the primary reason I drink so much water. I drink it because I crave it, because I’ve got to have it. I drink it because without it I get incredibly thirsty and miserable. That’s one of the funny things about drinking water. The more you drink, the thirstier you seem to feel. And now it’s become a habit. Before I committed to drinking more water, I never paid any attention to my need for it. It wasn’t important to me. But now you just try to wrestle that bottle out of my hands!

If you happened to read "Beauty of the Bubble Bath" a couple of weeks ago, you’ve probably figured out where I’m headed with all this talk of thirst and water. (you can find that post here: http://theordinaryreflectingtheextraordinary.blogspot.com/2012/01/beauty-of-bubble-bath.html ) 
What I’ve described up to this point is exactly what has happened to me and to many of you when it comes to the Word of God. We no longer just read the Word; now we crave the Word, we’ve got to have it! It’s part of our daily routine. It’s become a habit to pick up that beloved Book and drink deeply of its wisdom, its beauty, and its truths. We could no more stop reading it than we could stop breathing. And just try to wrestle it away from us!

Perhaps all this talk of water drinking and Bible reading doesn’t quite resonate with you. Not to worry, my friend. According to several websites I visited, in order to form a new habit, a person needs to repeat a specific action for 21 days. Twenty-one days, and that action becomes second nature. So why not test this theory? Why not commit to reading your Bible every single day for the next 21 days? Oh, and have a bottle of water at the ready. You might just establish two good habits at the same time! 

Drinking water is good for your body, but reading the Word of God is essential for your soul. You can quench your thirst temporarily with H₂0, but Jesus promises rivers of living water to those who believe in Him. And what better way to get to know Him more intimately than by reading His story, the Bible.

You’ll be amazed at the work the Word will do in you.