The following message is addressed to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America from Abner De los Santos, President of the Inter-American Division. — IAD News Staff
February 13, 2026 | Miami, Florida, United States | By Abner De los Santos, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Adventist Church in the Inter-American Division
Hello, dear Inter-American family. I invite you to open your Bible with me.
Today we turn to the book of Psalms, chapter 42, verses 1 and 2, which says:
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
We all understand what thirst is—it is a deep, urgent need that cannot be ignored. The psalmist uses this image to describe a profound spiritual reality: the human soul was created with a thirst that only God can satisfy.
The passage begins with a powerful image: a deer longing for water. This is not curiosity nor comfort; it is an urgent necessity. This is how true communion with God begins—when we recognize our spiritual thirst and understand that we cannot live without Him.
Then the psalmist clarifies something important: his thirst is not merely for answers or solutions; it is a “thirst for God, for the living God.” In other words, a God who is present, active, and relational. Communion is knowing God, not just knowing about Him.
Finally, the psalmist’s cry is clear: “When can I go and meet with God?” What a deep desire to be in His presence. Communion requires intentional time with God, and through it, He renews our inner life.
Spiritual thirst is not a weakness; it is an invitation and a gift from God. It is the call of the Holy Spirit leading us to the Source of life, with the sure promise that when we come to Him as the source of our life, He does not ignore us.
Let us seek God today and meet with Him, allowing His presence to renew us and sustain us each day.