Thirsting for God

INTRODUCTION

There is perhaps no clearer indicator of your spiritual condition than what you do when you are alone.

Not what you do in public.

Not what you do in church.

Not what others see.

But what happens when it is just you—and God.

Your private time with God reveals your true priorities, your true desires, and your true love.

It exposes whether your Christianity is vibrant or merely external.

Psalm 42 brings us face to face with a man whose inner life is laid bare.

He is not content with religious formality.

He is not satisfied with secondhand knowledge of God.

He longs for God Himself.

Psalm 42:1 says…

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.”

This is intense language.

The deer is not mildly interested in water—it is desperate.

Its life depends on it.

And the psalmist says, “That is how I feel about God.”

The question is: Do you?

Do you long for time alone with God?

Do you crave His Word?

Do you seek His presence?

Or has your time with God become mechanical, rushed, or neglected altogether?

Before we talk about how to spend time with God, we must understand where it begins.

because many people attempt to have a devotional life without ever addressing the foundational issues.

I. YOU MUST BE A CHRISTIAN

Meeting with God begins with a relationship, not a routine.

You cannot cultivate intimacy with a God you do not know.

Believers Are the Only Ones Who Can Understand the Bible

Turn to 1 Corinthians 2:9–10:

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him. For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.”

The Greek word that Paul uses for “revealed” (apokalupto) means “to disclose, to take off the cover, or to uncover, to make known, to manifest.”

“Unto us” is in the emphatic position in the original.

It means “to us alone.”

John MacArthur said, “It is as unneccessary as it is impossible for man to discover God’s truth on his own. What man cannot find God has given. Man cannot come to God on his own; but God has come to him. The Holy Spirit has invaded man’s closed box and shown him God.”

Notice the phrase:

“to us God revealed them through the Spirit.”

The truths of God are not discovered by human intellect—they are revealed by the Holy Spirit.

And that revelation is given to believers.

Jesus said the same in Matthew 13:10–11: “And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ Jesus answered them, ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.’”

There is a granting—an act of divine grace—that enables a person to understand spiritual truth.

John MacArthur often emphasizes that Scripture is a closed book to the unregenerate heart.

The words may be read, but the meaning is not embraced.

You can have education without illumination.

You can read the Bible without understanding it.

You can study theology and still miss God entirely.

Why?

Because true understanding is a work of the Spirit.

Unbelievers Cannot Understand the Bible

1 Corinthians 2:14 removes all ambiguity:

“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”

Notice two things:

He does not accept them.

He cannot understand them.

The word “accept” is the Greek word dechomai.

It means to receive, to welcome, to embrace willingly.

The natural man does not welcome God’s truth.

He resists it.

He rejects it.

He pushes it away.

And it is not merely unwillingness—it is inability.

“He cannot understand them.”

R.C. Sproul put it this way: “The problem is not that the unbeliever lacks intelligence; it is that he lacks spiritual life.”

Jesus said in John 8:47: “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

That is definitive.

If you belong to God,

you hear Him.

If you do not, you will not.

So let me be very direct:

If your Bible is consistently dry…

If your time with God is empty…

If you feel no pull toward His presence…

The issue may not be your method—it may be your nature.

You must be born again.

Because only a living heart can respond to a living God.

J.C. Ryle said, “The Bible is the book of the Holy Ghost, and only those taught by the Holy Ghost can rightly understand it.”

So the first question is not, “Do you have a quiet time?”

The first question is, “Do you know God?”

II. YOU MUST DEAL WITH SIN

Even for the believer, communion with God is not automatic.

Sin disrupts fellowship.

It clouds your mind.

It hardens your heart.

It robs you of spiritual appetite.

Peter addresses this directly in 1 Peter 2:1: “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander…”

Before he tells us to long for the Word (v.2), he tells us to remove sin (v.1).

You cannot feast on Scripture while holding onto sin.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Sin will keep you from this Book and this Book will keep you from sin.”

In order to understand the Scriptures, you must make every effort to deal with the impurity in your life.

This process is known as sanctification.

Being holy requires that we confess and forsake sin.

Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.”

Peter gives us the process on how to deal with your sin.

He uses a phrase that has imperative force.

He says, “laying aside” (apothemenoi) which means, “to put off, to put away.”

Kenneth Wuest says that it “suggests a once and for all action of separating oneself from sin.”

Now Peter lists what they are to put off…

You Must Put Off All Malice

The word “malice” is kakia.

It refers to evil, wickedness, a desire to injure others.

It is a deep-seated hostility of heart.

This includes bitterness, resentment, anger that festers, and a spirit that delights in others’ downfall.

This is not just behavior—it is attitude.

James 1:21 connects this directly to receiving the Word:

“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.”

If you hold onto kakia, you will not receive the Word rightly.

Your Bible reading will feel lifeless—not because the Bible lacks power, but because your heart is polluted.

You cannot come into God’s presence while nurturing hatred toward others.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:23–24 that if you are offering your gift and remember your brother has something against you, go and be reconciled first.

Why?

Because relationships affect worship.

You Must Put Off All Deceit

The word “deceit” is dolos.

It refers to guile, trickery, manipulation—anything that distorts truth.

It includes lying, half-truths, hidden motives, spiritual hypocrisy.

This sin operates both in speech and in life.

Peter addresses the tongue in 1 Peter 3:10:

“The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”

Your words matter.

A deceitful tongue reveals a deceitful heart.

But it also shows up in conduct.

In John 1:47, Jesus said of Nathanael:

“Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

That means he was genuine—no mask, no double life.

Beloved, you cannot meet deeply with God while living superficially before Him.

God is truth.

And those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

If your life is marked by dolos, your time with God will be hindered.

You may go through the motions, but there will be no depth, no warmth, no intimacy.

A Necessary Warning

Many Christians wonder why their devotional life feels dry.

They try new reading plans.

They change locations.

They adjust schedules.

But they never address sin.

And until sin is dealt with, nothing will change.

David said in Psalm 66:18: “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”

That does not mean God abandons His people—but it does mean fellowship is disrupted.

A.W. Pink wrote, “Sin indulged in, unforsaken, will effectually shut God out from our souls.”

A.W. Tozer once said, “The man who would know God must give time to Him.”

But Tozer also made clear that time alone is not enough.

That time must be marked by sincerity, humility, and holiness.

You cannot compartmentalize your life—living in sin throughout the day and expecting sweetness with God in the morning.

God does not meet with hypocrisy.

III. CULTIVATING A HEART THAT THIRSTS FOR GOD

Now let us return to Psalm 42.

“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

This is the goal—not just a routine, but a relationship marked by desire.

So how does this happen?

Recognize Your Need

The psalmist compares himself to a thirsty deer.

That is a picture of dependence.

You must see your need for God.

Not as an optional enhancement to your day—but as essential to your life.

Job said in Job 23:12:

“I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”

Do you see God’s Word like that?

More necessary than food?

Prioritize Time with God

You will not drift into a strong devotional life.

It must be intentional.

Jesus Himself modeled this.

Mark 1:35: “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.”

If the Son of God prioritized time alone with the Father, how much more should we?

Your schedule reveals your priorities.

If you have time for everything except God, then God is not your priority.

Approach with the Right Heart

Come with humility (James 4:6)

Come with hunger (Matthew 5:6)

Come with expectation (Psalm 119:18).

David said in Psalm 119:18, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.”

That is how you should approach Scripture—not casually, but expectantly.

Feed on the Word

1 Peter 2:2: “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”

Notice the word “long.”

That is the same idea as Psalm 42.

Do you long for the Word?

Not out of duty—but desire?

Respond in Prayer

Your time with God is not one-sided.

He speaks through His Word.

You respond in prayer.

Psalm 42 itself is a prayer—raw, honest, heartfelt.

That is how you should come to God—not with empty repetition, but with real expression.

CONCLUSION: A CALL TO EXAMINE YOUR HEART

Let me bring this to you personally.

Do you thirst for God?

Or have you settled for a dry, mechanical routine?

Are you truly converted?

Are you dealing with sin?

Are you cultivating desire?

Because the difference between a weak Christian and a strong one is often found in this simple place: their time alone with God.

Paul Washer said, “The evidence of conversion is not perfection, but direction.”

Are you moving toward God?

Do you desire Him more?

Psalm 42 is not just a description—it is an invitation.

“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

May that become the cry of your heart.

But as we examine our hearts, we must be very clear: none of us can produce this thirst for God by self‑effort.

The thirst of Psalm 42 is not the achievement of a disciplined religious person; it is the work of a gracious God who first comes to us in the gospel.

By nature, we are that “natural man” of 1 Corinthians 2:14 who does not accept the things of the Spirit of God.

We are blind to His beauty, deaf to His voice, and dead to His presence.

Left to ourselves, time alone with God will never be our delight, because we do not truly know Him, nor do we want Him.

That is why the good news is not that God simply calls us to try harder in our devotions.

The good news is that God sent His Son to make us alive.

Jesus, the One who rose “very early… while it was still dark” to pray (Mark 1:35), also went to the cross to bear the full weight of our sin, our hypocrisy, our malice, and our deceit.

On that cross, He suffered the abandonment that our sin deserves—so that we, who should be cast away, might be brought near.

He cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” so that we could say with the psalmist, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God,” and know that in Christ, this God is our God.

When you repent and believe the gospel, God gives you a new heart

He gives you a heart that can finally hear His Word (John 8:47).

He gives you a heart that begins to grieve over sin instead of cherish it (Psalm 66:18).

He gives you a heart that hungers and thirsts for righteousness (Matthew 5:6).

So if you realize this morning that you do not thirst for God, do not start by promising a better quiet time.

Start by fleeing to Christ.

Admit that your heart is cold, your sin is great, and your efforts are empty.

Look to the Savior who died and rose again to give you a new nature and a new direction.

And if you are in Christ, then hear this as a loving call to return to your first love.

Perhaps your time alone with God has become rushed, mechanical, or neglected.

The same Christ who saved you by His blood now invites you to draw near by His grace.

He has opened the way into the Father’s presence (Hebrews 10:19–22).

He has given you His Spirit, who illumines the Word (1 Corinthians 2:9–10).

He has promised, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).

So come to Him—not trusting in the quality of your devotions, but trusting in the sufficiency of His cross.

Come confessing your sin, laying aside your malice and deceit, and asking Him to restore to you both “the joy of your salvation” and “a willing spirit” (Psalm 51:12).

And as you come, remember:

the greatest privilege of the gospel is not merely that we escape hell, but that we gain God Himself—as our Father, our Savior, and our everlasting joy.

So let us respond to this psalm, and to the gospel of Christ, by saying from the heart: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

And then let us come to Him, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let’s pray.