The Thirst for Love
2003 : Week 5

In one short passage, the complexity and grandeur of love is set before us. The imagery used is simple, but the depth of the passage haunting. The verse expresses truth we have all felt and known at some point: all the waters of the world cannot quench our thirst for love. Our appetite for love is a bottomless pit, a desert whose sands refuse to hold the rains: we are left dry, arid and wanting more. How can we satisfy such a desperate desire?

Yes, we can love and be loved passionately. Surprise gifts, moonlit strolls, long embraces and a joy filled marriage are all wonderful expressions of love. They excite us and make us passionate about our lives. It’s why we pursue love so fiercely; our souls, minds and bodies demand it.

No child needs to be taught to accept love; they crave it from birth. How many times have you seen a child stop crying simply because they felt the loving embrace of their mother or father? Without it, they felt empty and alone, but the world seems like a better place in their parent’s arms. Love is good, all of it.

We never lose the urge to be loved that way. We’ll still crave it when we’re old, tired and worn. Ingrained in my memory is the image of my grandfather at his wife’s funeral. He was a battle-hardened man: a decorated soldier who spent years in prison camps after WW II. The discipline of a soldier, the courage of a warrior and the strength of a man all disappeared that morning; he was shattered. War couldn’t break him. Prison camps couldn’t break him. Lost love did.

The reality is that humans are unable to quench our deepest thirst for love; there’s no perfection in our fallen world. Even our most noble attempts at love can fall short. With best intentions, we try to love and be loved, but it's impossible to be everything to someone. When we expect this of someone, we are hurt. When we try to be this for someone, we are hurt. We make a mistake when we expect imperfect beings to provide perfect love for us; by definition, this is impossible.

God’s love stands in stark contrast to this; it is perfect. He created us and understands every desire and longing of our hearts. God’s love for us is complete and completely boundless. Pause to consider for a moment that God loves us with the same passion that King Solomon describes above.

Impossible that God would love us that much? John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Jesus died to pay the cost for our sins so that we could enter into eternity with Him. Is the crucifixion enough proof of God’s love for us? He didn’t have to die for us; He wanted to.

As Jesus explained, “whoever drinks of the water that I will give shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." (John 4:14) God gave us more then flowers and a box of chocolates to celebrate His love for us; He gave His only Son. He poured out His love and blood on the cross. God sees the good and the bad, and He still chooses to love you.

The answer is always before us, yet we search so many different paths to find fulfillment: some good, some bad. While the days pass and we continue to waste our lives accepting cheap trinkets of joy, God waits to give us treasure beyond our ability to conceive it. He waits to grant us joy on earth and a blissful eternity with Him. God loves you perfectly, sacrificially, patiently, flawlessly and eternally.

This upcoming Valentine’s day, love and be loved. Take the time to celebrate your relationships: friends, family, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands and wives. Love them hard in this life, and show it daily. There’s no rule that says flowers can only be sent on Valentine’s: I checked. Love those who love you and those who don’t. Sometimes you’ll get love back and sometimes you won’t. In the end, this won’t matter; God will continue to do what He always has done: love you. This then is the end of our search for fulfillment: God’s eternal love.

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you today and always…



* Words of Jesus, from the Bible, appear in red.


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