THIRSTY FOR GOD
Opening Prayer
Truly, Lord, Your lovingkindness is better than life itself.
Read PSALM 63
Psalm 63[a]
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 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.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
Footnotes:
a Psalm 63:1 In Hebrew texts 63:1-11 is numbered 63:2-12.
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica
Meditate
“Those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).
Think Further
While doctors encourage us to drink more, few of us know what it is like to have a raging thirst and to feel utterly parched. As your tongue sticks to the roof of your mouth and your breathing becomes harder, the only focus of your thoughts and energy is the need to find water. I suspect most of us do not feel that way if we miss church one week. However, this is the picture the psalmist uses to indicate how important worship and prayer are to him and his desire to maintain communion with God. When deprived of the opportunity to worship, the psalmist senses a deep hunger in his life. What a contrast he provides with those who consider church involvement a choice to be made rather than a settled commitment. Surely, it should not be an open decision but rather the driving force of our week. For this to happen, we need to make sure that our worship is not just a ritual but a reality, one that leads to an encounter with the living God.
Once you have seen God in his glory and discovered his love, nothing else will do; all alternatives are poor substitutes. When worship becomes less of a spectator sport (watching others) or a show to be scored (points for preaching or hymn choice) and instead something in which you actively participate, then it takes on a different meaning altogether. You are caught up in “wonder, love and praise” (Charles Wesley, 1707–1788), and the impact will affect the rest of your week, both at home and at work. In bed at night the memory can bring peace and pleasure and can assist you in laying aside the cares of the day. Here the fears of life can be dealt with as we become content to leave our life and its outcome to God.
Apply
Lord, help me to get a bigger view of You so that I can trust You more.
Closing prayer
Lord, we remember You as we recall what things You have done for us during past years and also during the day that has elapsed.
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