l e n t :: day20_thirst

This morning, since the next IF:Equip study hasn’t started yet, I perused John Piper’s recent articles and decided to read one titled Love is the Main Thing in Saving Faith.  Here’s a quick excerpt (although I encourage you to read the whole thing!): 

Here is the way Paul put it:

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:9–10)

Literally, it says, “They did not welcome the love of the truth in order to be saved.” The issue is not just welcoming the truth, but being willing to have the love of the truth in our hearts. Many people presume to have truth and speak truth. But it is all mental, intellectual — notional, [Jonathon] Edwards would say. They do not love the truth of the gospel. They say things about Jesus, but they don’t love what they say — that is, they don’t love the one they speak of. They don’t treasure what they say. And Paul says this is why they are not saved. Which means, they don’t have saving faith. Because saving faith has in it the love of what is believed — the One believed.

Saving faith receives the truth of Christ not merely as a fact, but as treasured fact. Not just as the description of a person and his deeds, but as a treasured person whose deeds are treasured for how valuable they really are. That is, saving faith includes loving Christ — treasuring him for who he is.

Last fall, a dear friend of mine was peeling carrots, PEELING CARROTS, and she burst into tears simply because she was overwhelmed by the love of Jesus.  Then, a night before a conference on the other side of the country, she didn’t sleep, overwhelmed by JESUS.  She treasures JESUS.

So today I am realizing that I am thirsty.  Sure, thirsty for water, Perrier, water from a curly straw (isn’t he a cutie by the way?), a good hoppy beer, but above all I am thirsty to fall in love with Jesus.  To want His return more than I want to spend another 50 years on earth in my safe place.  To want to participate in the breathing, life-giving love the Trinity shares.  And I know I’ve been invited to take a sip.

It reminds me of a song with lovely welcoming lyrics:

All who are thirsty

All who are weak

Come to the fountain

Dip your heart in the stream of life

Let the pain and the sorrow

Be washed away

In the waves of His mercy

As deep cries out to deep

Come Lord Jesus come!

All Who Are Thirsty by Brenton Brown & Glenn Robertson, Vineyard Music UK

 Are you thirsty?