“O God, You are my God; with deepest longing I will seek You;
My soul [my life, my very self] thirsts for You, my flesh longs and sighs for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have gazed upon You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.”
Psalm 63:1-3 AMP
Grace Perspective:
David wrote this Psalm as he was fleeing Absalom, his son, who was trying to steal the kingdom from him. David was forced to run into the wilderness to save his life and the lives of those who followed him. Yet, in his haste to evade Absalom’s evil intentions, David’s thoughts went to the One who could provide relief. David’s soul, his inner self, thirsted after God. He was in dry and weary land where water was scarce, yet he cried out to God, Elohim, the Creator of the universe.
David set his mind and heart on God. He longed for God’s presence to sustain him as he walked through the wilderness. David didn’t know if he would ever sit on the throne again or return to Jerusalem. He didn’t know if Absalom, whom he loved, would succeed in killing him. Instead of focusing his thoughts on a future he couldn’t see, David set his mind on what he did know, God’s love, mercy, and grace.
David couldn’t go to the sanctuary to worship God, but that didn’t stop him from praising God right where he was. He chose to praise the Lord for His lovingkindness even as he was running for his life. David trusted God to graciously satisfy his thirsty soul with His goodness, kindness, and love, even in the dry and weary land.
David chose to praise God from whom all blessings flow, even when those blessings involved uncertainty and suffering. David knew from experience that God would sustain him and takes time even as he runs for his life to worship the Lord, who satisfied the deepest longing of his soul. David trusted God to quench his thirst.
A Touch of Grace:
What is your deepest longing?
Where do you go to fill your soul?
Grace Application:
Thirst, a deep longing for something we can’t live without. We can go several weeks without food, three days without water, and about 3 minutes without oxygen. But how long can we go without God being present? In a literal sense, if God withdrew from creation, it would cease to exist. In our lives, we may think we can do without Him. Still, eventually, we will see just how dependent we are on Him for our existence, either this side of eternity or the other.
God is the One who sustains life. He is the One our souls thirsts for, even when we don’t realize it. He plants within us a desire to know Him, yet our flesh resists this longing, seeking to live apart from Him. But life is hard, and we may find ourselves in a dry and weary land, parched from living for selfish desires, worn from trying to keep up the world’s standards of success and happiness.
In our weariness, we become aware of the deep longing for something only God can satisfy. Only God can quench a thirsty soul that has tried to find satisfaction apart from Him. He graciously allows us to become aware of our need so that we feel in our soul a longing to draw near to Him for help.
Like David, we may find ourselves in a dry and weary land, without the comforts that usually bring relief. But God doesn’t desert us in that uncomfortable place; nope, He reminds us to seek Him. Drawing near to the Lord through prayer, praise, and worship will refresh a weary soul. This is difficult if we have trudged through the dry land for a long time without seeking God, but once we turn our hearts and minds towards the Lord, He is faithful to restore our souls.
Drawing near to God, seeking His love, mercy, and kindness is like finding a deep well in the middle of a desert. The water He provides cleanses us from sin, fills our souls with hope, gives us rest from the weariness of life, and gives us life in Christ, who is the fount of living water.
Our praise of God isn’t dependent upon our circumstances or the blessings He gives. Our praise for God comes from who He is. He is loving, merciful, patient, kind, compassionate, and so much more. I encourage you to take time to know the Lord, who provides all we need to live a life of contentment. Draw near to the One who wants you to graciously quench your thirst.
Prayer:
Gracious Father, You are the One I seek in this dry and weary land. You alone satisfy my thirst with Your lovingkindness. Forgive me for trying to quench my thirst apart from You. Lead me to the water that brings life and contentment. Lord, I seek Your presence to fill me with all I need to live a life that pleases You. Help my lips to praise Your Holy name for Your love, mercy, and grace. In the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Amen.
**Today, as you read this, I pray each of you will know for certain you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubt, please call out to God so all doubt may be erased. Today is a good day to be assured of salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, please contact me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**