“Do you love me? Do you really love me?” That’s the question of a spouse or significant other who has been hurt by his or her partner. There’s a doubt in those questions. There’s a doubt because the individual’s actions led to a questioning of the love and commitment from the other person. If they wanted to show love, why did he or she do that?

Thirst is one of those universally understood needs. Now, at certain times and in certain places, the need may be more or less pronounced. In some places, people are struggling to find any clean water at all, while perhaps it’s more common around us to make sure we’re drinking enough of the readily available water to maintain our health. But regardless, water is a basic need shared by all people—by all life that God has made. So if we describe a different need as a thirst, it is intentionally or unintentionally communicating something about the strength or severity of that need.