Thirsting for the Living Water + Resting in His Presence

In Matthew 12:43, Jesus says: “When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest but finds none.” (NIV)

At first glance, this might sound like just another cryptic passage, but when we sit with it and allow the words to really sink in, they begin to paint a picture of what so many of us experience in our own lives: a longing for peace, but a constant feeling of restlessness.

Jesus is telling us a story about a soul that’s been cleansed—maybe even healed—and yet, if it’s not filled with the right things, that spiritual space remains empty and vulnerable. The unclean spirit is wandering, looking for a place to settle, to find rest, but it can’t. It’s exhausted, searching for fulfillment, but all it finds is emptiness. The “waterless places” are like barren deserts, lifeless and dry, representing a world where nothing truly satisfies.

Now, take a moment and let this sink in: how often do we feel like this? We look for peace in relationships, possessions, accomplishments, or just the next big thing—and yet, no matter how much we search, nothing truly satisfies. It’s like we’re running in circles, trying to fill a void inside of us that only God can fill.

What Jesus is revealing here is a profound truth: true peace, true rest, comes from something deeper than the things we often chase. We were made to be filled with His presence, His love, His grace. Without that, we can spend our entire lives looking for rest in all the wrong places—always feeling a little bit off, always feeling like something’s missing.

This verse speaks directly to that deep ache we all have—the desire for peace, for contentment, for something that truly satisfies the soul. And the reality is, without Jesus, nothing on earth will give us that. Just like the wandering spirit in this passage, we can look everywhere, but we’ll keep coming up empty.

The Invitation to True Rest: But here's the beautiful thing, friends: Jesus isn’t leaving us stuck in that search. He invites us to something deeper, something that the world can’t offer. He invites us to find our rest in Him. In Matthew 11:28, He says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Jesus offers us the kind of rest that doesn’t just ease our tiredness but fills us with an overwhelming sense of peace and wholeness. This rest isn’t just about physical sleep or escaping from our problems—it’s the kind of peace that wraps around our hearts and souls and says, “You are loved. You are seen. You are enough. I’ve got you.”

When we allow Jesus to fill our hearts, that void is gone. The unclean spirit that wandered searching for rest can no longer find a place to settle because we are already filled with the living water of Jesus (John 4:14). He’s what we’ve been longing for all along.

Think about the days when we feel exhausted, restless, or discontent. How many times do we find ourselves longing for something that will bring us peace, but still end up feeling empty? Maybe we try to find it in accomplishments, in perfect relationships, or in a never-ending pursuit of success, but it’s like we’re trying to quench our thirst with a cup that has holes in it. Nothing sticks.

But Jesus tells us, “I am the water that will never run dry” (John 4:14). When we turn to Him, we stop seeking in vain. We stop searching in barren places because we’ve found the one thing that truly satisfies. When we allow God’s love to fill us, we become like trees planted by streams of water, always nourished, always full, no longer desperate for what the world offers.

The heart of this passage is an invitation to let go of the empty pursuits and fill the space within us with the only thing that will bring us lasting rest: Jesus. Only He can give us the true peace we crave. And it’s not just any peace—it’s the peace that comes with knowing we are loved, we are held, we are free.

So, the next time you feel restless or like you’re searching for something more, remember: Jesus is the living water. He’s the rest your soul is seeking. Don’t let your heart wander in waterless places. Go to Him. He’s waiting, arms open wide, ready to fill you with peace, purpose, and all the love your heart can hold.

No matter how many things we try to fill ourselves with, nothing will satisfy like Jesus. He offers the rest we need, the peace that fills every corner of our hearts, and the joy that overflows when we let His love fill us to the brim. Let’s allow Him to quench our thirst today, so we no longer need to search for fulfillment in places that can never give us true rest!!!