Thirsty Souls

June 18, 2025

Thirsty Souls

Psalm 42:1

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.

There is something inherently awe-inspiring about deer. They move with grace and beauty, running toward what they need – food, water, space, safety – all of those things call out to the deer. And the deer follow that call.

For us, we need food, water, space, safety too. Quenching our physical thirst isn’t always easy. It takes intentionality to remember to drink enough water, particularly on hot summer days. But if we pay attention, we will notice we naturally move toward those things our physical bodies know we need.

In the same way, we move in the direction of getting our souls filled by God. We are drawn to the ways we find to be filled on a deeper level. I once heard someone describe this feeling as part of our natural design, that our spirits are created with a God-shaped vacuum, and we are drawn to a relationship with God to fill that vacuum. That feels right to me. I notice sensing that something is missing if I don’t make space for God in prayer, or scripture, or worship, or song. Being intentional about making space for our thirsty souls to be filled can be exactly what we need.

Reflection Questions:

1) Do you remember a time when your soul felt full? What was happening?

2) When have you been thirsty, and recognized that the cause wasn’t just physical?

3) How can you make sure you make time to fill your thirsty soul? What is an intentional practice you could adopt?

Prayer: Dear God, I am so thankful that you desire to fill all of our souls. Help me say yes to opportunities to be filled.

In Jesus Name, Amen