I started in a famous story of David and it took me through 3 passages and into Gospel of John.
The key here for David is the Sovereign Salvation and Precious Promises of a Covenant Keeping God.
It doesn’t matter what circumstances are present, if God is Present.
I’m a songwriter so in 2 Samuel 23 we have a song of praise from David listed as “these are the last words of David”. Now the account of those last days of David stretch over into 2 Kings. Yet, in some of those last days, David still shows his humanity. he does things he regrets, but then comes to the altar of God for forgiveness.
But I digress, 2 Samuel 23:5 David, singing praise, “Is it not true my house is with God. For he has established a permanent covenant with me, ordered and secured in every detail. Will he not bring about my WHOLE Salvation and my every desire?“
Well, is it true or not? It’s either all Jesus or it’s not all grace. Here is David, a great man with great deeds, and yet great failures. But he had a great God who knew all of that and secured his selection and salvation through it all.
David found God Alone could quench his thirst.
A few verses later in that 23rd chapter, it tells of David’s great warriors who served with him. Philistines had taken position over his hometown of Bethlehem. And David mentions in the struggle of battle, that he is thirsty for water from his hometown well outside the city gate of Bethlehem. The word there literally meant he “craved”. It wasn’t so much being “thirsty” I think as he was longing for home. “If only I had a drink from the well outside Bethlehem’s gate.”
Well, three warriors heard that and went to get it. They sneak out, passed the enemy lines, and got him some water from the well and brough it back to him.
He hadn’t sent them, they just heard his heart and risked their lives to get him a drink. HE REFUSED IT. He poured it out on the ground. Oh wait … not just “on the ground” v16 says “he poured it out to the LORD” . This was an act of worship. He sacrificed it to the Lord, saying “this is the blood of men who risked their lives.”
David thirsted for Home. David thirsted for Security. David thirsted for knowing that all was going to be well. David in this that God was on his side. God had provided warriors. David understood that he was loved, secure, that he his Safety and Security was wherever God was… so was wherever he may lead.
So then if you turn a few pages you come to 1 Kings 2 – as the time approached for David to die… He had solidified that Solomon would succeed him as King over Israel. and He tells his son how to “succeed”.
v2 Be Strong and Be a Man 3 keep your obligation to the Lord your God to walk in his ways… keep his commands… so that you will have success in everything you do and wherever you turn 4 and so that the Lord will fulfill his promise…
Yes, some of God’s promises are conditional. Sometimes God cannot bless because we will not follow.
But in regards to “thirst” – Be Satisfied with God’s Commands and God’s Promises, and find that God’s Presence will always be ENOUGH.
What Then?
The byproduct then of faith in action is that it will flow from you to everything and everyone you touch.
My mind, thinking of thirst went to John 7:37-38. Jesus at a great week long feast of eating and drinking stands and states, “…if anyone is still thirsty let him COME TO ME and drink 38 the one who believes in me… will have streams of LIVING WATER flow from deep within him.
I think sometimes we read that and think it just means I’ll have water in me that will quench MY thirst and keep me filled. But it says WILL FLOW FROM. If it is flowing from… that means it’s flowing to. The Young’s Literal says Rivers out of his belly shall flow living water. Oh that’s GOOD!
David Had His Thirst Quenched by God and Faithful Servants… and that Water within flowed out Freely to all Around. When David poured out that water as an act of worship to God – it must have been stout inspiration because the next verses tell the exploits of “The Three”. They knew that God was the Object of their Worship, and David was their King, they could do anything.
As I close let me encourage you to take a minute and go read Isaiah 12. It’s a beautiful song of praise, just 6 verses … but in the middle vv 3 and 4 read…
You will joyfully draw water from the Springs of Salvation… Give Thanks To the LORD