Readings: Isaiah 55:1-9

Quiz about Deserts:

It’s always hot in a desert

true or false? 

The Sahara is the largest desert in the world - true or false?

(3.6m sq miles - 3rd largest after Antartica and Artic)

It never rains in a desert

true or false?

(desert has less than 250mm of rain a year)

There is no vegetation in the desert

true or false?

(less than 50%)

When Isaiah wrote his prophecy the people he was addressing knew all about deserts.  They knew what it was like to hunger and thirst.  I guess not many of us have been in a desert.  But one thing we can do is imagine what it would be like.

What would you need to survive in the desert?

Have some different varieties of drink:

Water

Tea

Salt water

Juice

Milk

Ask what it feels like when we are really thirsty

Get some children to have a drink

God says to us: “I am like a drink of water to you when you are really thirsty.  I can quench your thirst and make you feel better, I can give you life and refresh you.  I want to give you the best blessing I can give - the blessing of abundant life”

Happiness day on Wednesday  - we all like to be happy don’t we?  But what brings true happiness?

Each of us has a longing to be happy, to be fulfilled in our life – God is the best thing to quench that spiritual thirst, that deep longing within us, because as we come to God in faith life makes sense; and as we become the people God made us to be, we get a greater sense of fulfilment.

God designed us to know him.  It’s like he made us with a God shaped whole in our lives.  If we don’t have God in our lives it feels like there is something missing.  There is a space, an inner restlessness, in our lives.

St Augustine said: O Lord, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

Some people try and fill that space, or quench that thirst for God with all sorts of other things, with possessions, status, money or worse.  But in fact desiring only wealth, a big house a position of power can just make things worse for us.

Who drank the salted water? – what was it like?

Sometimes things may look good at first, but actually they aren’t.

In Egypt  I discovered how bad it can be drink the wrong water. I was given a nice cold drink - after a long day in the sun exploring the Valley of the Kings and Queens in the desert of the west bank, I needed a drink.  Ice seemed like a good idea - but it wasn’t made with bottled water.

Drink the wrong thing, quench that thirst for God with anything but God then we end up in a real mess.

God loves us and wants to give us what he knows is good for us – all we have to do is come to him and ask – he will give us spiritual drink that will quench our thirst, spiritual food that will give us inner strength, his spirit that enables us to live the life God wants us to live - abundant life that brings us fulfilment and also gives life to others.

What are the things you hunger and thirst for in life?

How does it feel to hear God’s invitation to come and receive blessing from him?