Yesterday in Sunday School we were discussing “It is Finished” written by Jason Nelson and David Dorn. This was a series we recently found on RightNowMedia.org about the Lenten season. As I was preparing the lesson, the discussion was around “thirst” and how Jesus cried out on the cross, “I thirst”. He was basically dehydrated.

The idea of dehydration really resonated with me. I never thought about Jesus’ head hurting so much from the dehydration that it might have been pounding more from lack of water than the crown of thorns.

This led me to do some more research. While reading on the Mayo Clinic’s site, they mentioned people not drinking enough due to being sick or busy. Some effects of dehydration they listed included:

1. Fatigue
2. Confusion
3. Extreme thirst
4. No tears when crying

Yet, dehydration not only happens to us physically, it can happen to us spiritually. So, I started thinking. Have you ever felt spiritually dry? Felt you just couldn’t feel God? You were so thirsty that all you could do was to cry out, “I thirst”?

When we are spiritually dehydrated we feel:

1. Fatigue — tiredness that can lead to apathy
2. Confusion — not sure where God wants us to go next
3. Extreme thirst — try to fill our lives with anything to quench our thirst
4. No tears when crying — we don’t tend to cry for what God cries over

Dehydration can be deadly both physically and spiritually.

Feeling “dry” wasn’t really anything I felt Jesus felt. I know logically that he felt everything a human would feel. I know in my head he felt forsaken by God on the cross. Yet, there are times when I feel I’m just not getting through. I feel I’m dry and I feel guilty in a way for feeling that way.

I know, again, in my head, that when I feel “dry” I need to spend more time with God. Yet, when I look at the fatigue, confusion, extreme thirst, and no tears; wow, it all just makes sense.

I can’t go to church on Sundays and Wednesday and have Bible study a few times in between and hope it will all be okay. Did you know depending on your circumstances that dehydration can happen within 2 hours? Did you know that when you are in the fire and undergoing extreme spiritual turmoil that you can easily get dehydrated within a day, if not hours?

Let’s go back to the line about people not drinking enough because they are too sick or busy. Let us not forget we live in a sick, sin-filled world. We must never allow ourselves to get too busy, or sick, to drink in God’s love, God’s comfort, and God’s presence.

Is your cup full or empty? Where in your life are you sick? What parts of your life can you make less busy?

Take time today to drink your fill of Him!

© 2019 Susan M. Sims

Picture courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net/khumthong

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