While there have been a few times in my life when I have experienced intense hunger pangs, I have known what it is to be extremely thirsty. Back in the day, when I played high school football, the coaches tried to toughen us up by not allowing for water breaks. It can get pretty hot on August days in California, so when we would practice twice a day in full pads, we would get thirsty. I remember practices where I would lose ten pounds of water weight in a single practice and I only weighed 185. I was so thirsty my tongue would stick to the sides of my mouth.
I’ve had other experiences with extreme thirst, and there is not much to compare with finally being able to drink deeply and satisfy the dryness. Two words came to mind this morning, while thinking about God’s Word, earnestly seek. I did what I often do, and did a search on bible.crosswalk.com, which is my favorite website for study tools and one I use nearly every day of the week. The search pointed me to Psalm 63, a familiar passage. Verse One reads: (NIV) “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
David shares three things we need to do when we are thirsty:
“I will praise you as long as I live”, V4 ~ Several years ago I heard a song with these lyrics, “There’s only two times to praise the Lord, when you feel like it and when you don’t.” We can reach a place where we’re so down and our spiritual resources are so dangerously depleted, we don’t feel like doing the very things which will help us. Even if we don’t feel like giving up praise to God, we do so because he is worthy.
“I sing in the shadow of your wings”, V7 ~ This refers to the comfort and safety we find in the Lord. When the difficulties of life our pressing in on us, it can seem like God’s shadow is far away. We can feel very vulnerable and unstable. Our confidence is in the truth of God’s Word, God has us covered! Even when it doesn’t seem like we are safe, and what we can see with our physical eyes indicates danger, we are covered by the shadow of God’s wings. This was a favorite word picture of David’s: Psalm 17:8, 36:7, 57:1, 91:4.
“My soul clings to you”, V8 ~ In considering the context, specifically the verses which follow, David is dealing with “enemies” and, understandably, the battle is taking a toll on his soul. So he reminds himself that God is his source and strength, and he WILL ultimately experience deliverance and victory.
Life can take a toll on our soul. The daily battle, whatever that is for each of us, can wear us down and zap us of our spiritual strength. The only solution to this dire situation is to earnestly seek God. We have to break through the exhaustion of extreme thirst and hunger, and spend time in the presence of God. I love how Psalm 63 ends: (V11) “But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him…” There is no question in David’s mind that his thirsty and hungry soul will be satisfied when he earnestly seeks the Lord.
Back to the hot August football practices, when the coaches did finally let us have water, we couldn't get to there fast enough. And we would drink and drink and drink. We we were finally somewhat satisfied, we'd slowly let out an audible, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" I hope you have an AHH-some day!
Thank you, Mark. This is exactly what I needed today.
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