Daily Devotion
Choking on the Will of God
By Paul Dailey
Guest Writer
CBN.com –
God most often speaks to me in analogies. This time was no different.
As I was preparing a message for our youth group several weeks
ago on “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,”
I got a revelation from two different Scriptures.
First, in John 4, is the story of Jesus speaking with the Samaritan
woman at the well. His disciples had gone into town to get some
food while Jesus stayed behind. When they returned and offered
Him something to eat, He replied, “I have food that you
don’t know anything about.” This left the disciples
scratching their heads as to what He might possibly mean, so Jesus
clarified it for them by saying, “My food is to do the will
of Him who sent me and finish His work.”
Then, in Psalm 63:1, and again in Psalm 143:6, David iterates
his intense longing for the presence of God in these words, “My
soul thirsts for you.” God had brought him to a dry, deserted,
lonely place in his life so that his craving for the presence
of God would overwhelm him. That’s often a hard pill to
swallow, but it is such good medicine!
After reading these several verses, the Lord began to speak to
me in terms I could really understand. Think back to a time in
your life when you sat down to a tantalizingly delicious meal.
Perhaps it was a perfectly cooked and juicy steak right off the
grill, complete with a side of sautéed mushrooms and onions.
Or maybe it was that salad that had just the right combination
of fresh veggies and topped with that one special dressing that
just makes your mouth water. Or imagine being one of the five
people left in this country who hasn’t sworn off carbs and
there’s that particular dessert you dreamed about one night
-- you know, the one oozing with chocolate or caramel, smothered
in fresh strawberries.
Now, if you just kept eating and eating and eating your favorite
food, whatever that might be, and never took a drink, that steak
or salad or dessert would quickly lose its appeal, wouldn’t
it? Imagine how dry and scratchy your throat would get. The food
that once made your head spin with delight is now causing you
some potentially life threatening problems. That’s because
the liquids we drink help to coat the food as we get it from the
plate to our stomachs.
It works the same in the spiritual as in the natural. Our food
is to do the will of God, but it is God’s presence that
we thirst for. Too many people have burned out and choked to death
on the will of God because they neglected to make regular trips
to the river for a drink of the water of life.
Jesus offered the Samaritan woman at the well water that would
leave her eternally and completely satisfied. That water is Jesus
Himself. Are you living for God at a breakneck pace, trying to
do everything He’s called you to do? How long has it been
since you stopped and just drank deeply of the presence of God?
How long are you going to wait before you answer the Lord’s
call to drink the water which will become in you a spring of eternal
life?
If you are choking on God’s will, He is calling you to
put down your forks, spoons, and knives for just a moment and
take a healthy gulp of His presence. Do what the Samaritan woman
did and just ask Him for that water. You will be glad you did!
Related Links:
Paul Dailey was raised in Smithton, Mo., and
moved to Virginia in 1999. He served in the U.S. Navy and felt called to full-time ministry.
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