Readings:
Sermon:
A few summers ago, I went for a long walk on a hot day. I’d packed a water bottle with fresh ice cold water and about half an hour in realised by water bottle had leaked all in my bag. We were no where near a tap. As we walked more, the thirstier I became, my head throbbed, and the only thing I could think about was water. That deep, physical thirst consumed every other desire.
Eventually, I found a stream and filled my bottle. And I’ll never forget that first sip— cool, clear, life-giving. It was only water, but in that moment, it felt like a gift from up above.
That physical thirst is exactly the kind of longing the psalmist speaks of in Psalm 42:
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”
This is not casual language. It’s desperation. A soul parched by silence, waiting for God's voice. It's a psalm for those dry seasons—when God feels far, when joy is a memory, when faith feels more like longing than certainty.
Just last Sunday, we celebrated Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came like wind and fire. But let’s not forget why Pentecost came: Jesus had promised that He would not leave us as orphans. The disciples were waiting, praying—thirsting for God’s
presence.
Pentecost was God's answer to thirsty souls.
Jesus once said:
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink… Whoever believes in me, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:37–38)
That “living water” is the Holy Spirit. And so even now, as we walk through Ordinary Time, the Spirit continues to flow in the lives of those who long for God.
One of the most striking verses is verse 7:
“Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.”
It sounds overwhelming—and it is. But notice: these are God’s waves. Even in the chaos, He is present. Sometimes, the very things that overwhelm us are the means by which God draws us deeper. It’s not easy. But the Spirit, given at Pentecost, helps us endure and grow through the waves.
So if today you feel dry, discouraged, or distant from God—take heart. You are not alone in your thirst. You are not forgotten in your longing. The same Spirit poured out at Pentecost dwells in you now.
Keep thirsting.
Keep hoping.
Keep praising.
Because you will yet praise Him, your Saviour and your God.