Posted on March 27, 2022 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
THE JOURNEY
All Access: Quench My Thirst
By Allison Antrim
Humans can survive for a few weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Although it’s easy to feel the effects of thirst in our bodies, thirst in our souls is different. We might notice an inward dissatisfaction, then try different ways to satisfy it that work temporarily, but the sense that something is missing always seems to come back.
I‘ve wrestled with anxiety my whole life. I spend a lot of time worrying about what others think of me and how I’m performing in my roles as wife, mother, daughter, friend, and employee. My soul thirsts for calm and peace in the midst of my efforts to be who I think I need to be. I try to slake that thirst in my time off from work, either by hanging out with family and friends, vegging out with a video game, or trying to steal a nap while my 7-month-old naps. But as relaxing as all of those things are to me, none of them truly grant my soul the rest it craves. Even when my husband and I took a staycation a few weeks ago and I got to spend several hours doing my favorite restful activities, I noticed I didn’t feel fully rested when staycation was over.
If I were to let Jesus satisfy my soul’s thirst, I would be free to love my family and friends, free to work at my job, without the desperation to have the approval of others make me feel at peace. Not only that, but those streams of living water that Jesus promised might invite others in my life toward peace and the chance to let Jesus satisfy their own thirst. What is your soul thirsty for, and how can Jesus quench that thirst?
Observe, Reflect, Apply: What do you thirst for? What drives you? And what quenches that thirst? How do you feel about trusting Jesus’ invitation to have access to him (come to me/believe) and the promise that you will never thirst again (receive)? How might you tell Jesus you are thirsty this week, and invite him into that need vs filling the need with other things?
{bible reading plan: book of hebrews}
For the next few months, we invite you to engage the Bible differently along with us. Each week we will be reading a book from Hebrews 4 times, in 4 ways, as directed below. Instead of daily verses, you are free to engage in the practice outlined below as a "choose your adventure". You might do this all in one sitting, or choose to do an exercise a day. We’d love to hear your feedback, just drop an email to Lisa Zulke.
For an overview of Hebrews, watch this 8 minute video from our friends at The Bible Project.
Read the passage slowly, sitting with it and allowing it to frame and fill your mind. Listen for a single word or phrase that catches your attention. Something you want to ponder further or hold on to.
What word or phrase caught your attention?
"I heard _____________________________________________"
The second time you read the passage, reflect on what you have heard. Use your imagination to put yourself in the story, in the context of this letter to the Hebrew people. What do you THINK or NOTICE? What do you SEE? What do you FEEL? What do you LEARN about Jesus? What QUESTIONS are you pondering about Jesus in this reading? Engaging our senses invites curiosity about what we have read.
"I saw, I felt, I noticed _____________________________________"
The third time you read the passage, listen specifically for a personal invitation. What am I being invited to consider? What am I being invited to do or try? Sit quietly and listen. Pray, asking God for insight into what he wants to share with you.
"I believe Jesus is inviting me to ___________________________"
After the fourth reading, respond to Hebrews 9. Read it again, and noodle on what you’ve experienced and taken note of so far. What are you sensing or hearing from Jesus or about Jesus? Pray, inviting Jesus to nudge you in a decision: what am I going to do with what I’ve heard? How will I act on it? How might I integrate it into my daily life?
"I will __________________________________________________"
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources). You can also download The Bible Project App HERE.
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get the free YouVersion Bible for your phone, tablet, or computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
The Bible App For Kids YouVersion partnered with OneHope to develop the Bible App for Kids, designing it specifically to engage children with Bible stories on an age-appropriate level. The Bible App for Kids is a free app for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices, available in over 60 languages.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
Please visit us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and share what you are learning, questioning or experiencing. We love conversations!
