Are You Thirsting for God?

 

 

Are you thirsting for God?

On our recent trip to Israel, we were told to have plenty of available water to keep hydrated. Although the temperature was moderate, once we got into the Judean desert, the air heated up from the sun. The hilly desert was barren, dry, and hot. (see photo at left)

 

 

 

In Psalm 63, King David wrote when in the dry Judean desert. This Psalm expresses David’s desire to pursue God.

Psalm 63:1 begins:

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Thirsting to regain relationship with God begins with honesty.

The first sentence of the psalm describes David’s relationship with God, through the words “my God.” This is covenant language, indicating a personal connection with God. David had experienced God’s presence in the past and expressed his desire for seeking God in the desert place. He sought nearness to God once again, and cried out to Him with honesty.

Psalm 63:2-3 continues:

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

David remembered the times of worship. He was physically far away from the faith community yet recollected God’s glory shown in worship. Instead of focusing his desert situation, he filled his mind with thoughts of God.

He also recalled God’s love. The Hebrew word for love is hesed. Hesed is love that is faithful, reliable, committed, and steadfast. It’s a covenant love that won’t give up. David knew God’s faithfulness throughout his life. He experienced God’s love as greater than fear, and sought to satisfy his spiritual thirst.

Worship satisfies the thirsting soul.

In Psalm 63:4 David continued praising God.

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

His response to experiencing God was worship. Praise flowed from David as he thought about God’s covenant love.

In the wilderness, David’s greatest thirst was for God. He choose to worship. He recalled God’s love and yearned for closeness with God.

We can learn to do the same—crying out with deep longing for God, praising God for his faithful love, and clinging tenaciously to God’s presence.

Spiritual dryness creeps into our lives if we don’t intentionally pursue God. We feel disconnected from God. When we become aware of this condition, we can take action. The remedy is found in seeking God. Prayer, worship, and meditating on God’s promises are ways we can draw close to God.

Are you thirsting for more of God?

 God waiting to satisfy your thirst.