A Thirst For God

Psalm 63:1-8

Picture yourself out hiking off in the wilderness on a very hot day, or perhaps you are jogging on that hot afternoon, and you reach for your water bottle to quench your thirst, and the bottle is empty.  “Oh, I’m so thirsty!”, is all you can think as you desperately try to get somewhere where there is water.  With every step your mind is thinking only one thing - water!  Your mouth is dry as cotton, perhaps you’re even starting to get a headache, and all you can think of is that first, cool, refreshing gulp of water.  Nothing else matters.

King David, the author of today’s Psalm, had spent many extended periods of time out in the wilderness while fleeing various enemies, and he most probably was familiar with being terribly thirsty on more than one occasion.  Yet as terrible as it was for David to feel extremely thirsty, his thirst for God was even stronger (vs. 1).  He wanted God, and to be in constant fellowship with Him, just as badly as that thirsty person out hiking, who discovers his bottle is empty, and the sun is beating down on him.  It doesn’t take too long being without water before it becomes a dangerous condition.  When we go a period of time without reading from the Bible or praying and having fellowship with God our souls will become spiritually all dried out and parched.  We need to come to God and His Word and drink freely and frequently to stay spiritually sound and healthy, as well.

Verse 1 also speaks of being in a “dry and thirsty land where there is no water”. Some of you reading this may live in a country where there are very few Christians, and the Word of God is not readily available or able to be freely read. That is a spiritually dry and thirsty land.  Other countries have fallen away from their Christian past, others slowly but surely straying from their godly roots, and fast on the way to becoming a dry and thirsty land, as well. King David had seen that, when many of his fellow countrymen kept straying to false gods, and he made it a priority to lead the people back to God.

David also compares his desire and yearning for God as one who is satisfied with marrow and fatness (vs. 5).  David was talking about the choicest and best parts of food, and his soul was satisfied by God just as the best foods do. Fellowship with Almighty God should be as desirous to us as our most favorite meal is when we’re so hungry!

In Biblical times there were three watches in the night (vs. 6).  If one were lying awake for more than one it was a rather sleepless night. David had many of those sleepless nights when he was having to flee for his life, both from King Saul, and later his son, Absalom.  He knew the best thing to do when, for whatever reason (worry, fear, sickness, etc.) one cannot fall asleep.  Turn your thoughts to God, and spend those hours in quiet times of reflection, prayer, and worship.  Praise Him for how He’s guided and helped you up to this moment.  Even though his life was not an easy one, David knew he had much to praise and thank the Lord for.  He knew that God had protected him just like a mother bird protects her chicks from danger by hiding them under her wing (vs. 7).

No matter where we are, or what is happening in our life, our desire should be for God.  Only He can truly satisfy our needs and desires. While David was hiding in the wilderness, he longed for a true friend that he could trust.  Only God can satisfy our deepest longings.  We should be longing for God as much as David did in this Psalm, seeking and pursuing Him throughout each day. How close we are with God will determine how our life will be.