It was good to starve, to thirst, to resist, to endure.”
–Zane Grey (Under the Tonto Rim)
“Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled.”
–Matthew 5:6 (HCSB)
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“All day I’ve faced a barren waste
Without the taste of water…”
–Bob Nolan
There is no water, no water for the weary soul that is in the wasteland. You may have found yourself in that dry wasteland a time or two. It is a place where the body and/or the soul needs water for survival. But from what I see around me, there is little thirst for “water” but a desire to attempt to try to quench the thirst with other things. I like what Surgeon said, “Our misery is that we thirst so little for these sublime things, and so much for mocking trifles of time and space.” Is our thirst for God, or is it for the things of earth? The enemy of our souls will tempt us with something that looks good, but will not quench the thirst of the soul.
Psalm 63 finds David in the wilderness. He has recently escaped from his son Absalom who has taken the throne (talk about a wilderness wasteland experience). David saw himself without water while he was in exile. Often, far too often, when we find ourselves in a dire situation we are not seeking the Lord’s direction, but rather, what we selfishly desire. “It’s a terrible desolate journey when we are in trial. In the early days or months of a crisis, we often search for solutions other than the presence of God himself. We only want God to rearrange our external circumstances. Oh, blessed moment, when we turn toward God and begin to ‘earnestly’ seek Him.” (George O. Wood)
1 — O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
2 — So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.
3 — Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.
4 — Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 — My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. (NKJV)
I like the way the NLT puts verse 1, “…my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is not water.” The land was parched, dry as a bone that had been lying in the dust for years. Oh, but it’s a dry heat–one that sucks the moisture right off your skin; it is like living in an oven. In this type of situation what draws our attention?
Notice that David is simply stating a fact about the wilderness he has found himself in. This was a wilderness of the desert, but also a wilderness of despair. Not only was his mouth dry from lack of water, but his soul was also parched. It is important to note what David did in this dire situation. He turned to praising God. Even if life is taken away he knows that God’s lovingkindness is better. David declares that his “soul shall be satisfied.” In our dry times when we don’t seem to know what to do. When we are in a dry and barren land physically or spiritually what is our reaction? Do we moan and groan as the Israelites did in the wilderness or do we lift up our hands in praise as David did? What do we search for to quench our thirst? The choice is ours.
“Better than life itself thy love,
Dearer than all beside to me;
For whom have I in heaven
Or what on earth, compared with thee?”
–James Montgomery
———————————————-
“All day I’ve faced a barren waste
Without the taste of water…”
–Bob Nolan
There is no water, no water for the weary soul that is in the wasteland. You may have found yourself in that dry wasteland a time or two. It is a place where the body and/or the soul needs water for survival. But from what I see around me, there is little thirst for “water” but a desire to attempt to try to quench the thirst with other things. I like what Surgeon said, “Our misery is that we thirst so little for these sublime things, and so much for mocking trifles of time and space.” Is our thirst for God, or is it for the things of earth? The enemy of our souls will tempt us with something that looks good, but will not quench the thirst of the soul.
Psalm 63 finds David in the wilderness. He has recently escaped from his son Absalom who has taken the throne (talk about a wilderness wasteland experience). David saw himself without water while he was in exile. Often, far too often, when we find ourselves in a dire situation we are not seeking the Lord’s direction, but rather, what we selfishly desire. “It’s a terrible desolate journey when we are in trial. In the early days or months of a crisis, we often search for solutions other than the presence of God himself. We only want God to rearrange our external circumstances. Oh, blessed moment, when we turn toward God and begin to ‘earnestly’ seek Him.” (George O. Wood)
1 — O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
2 — So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.
3 — Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.
4 — Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 — My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. (NKJV)
I like the way the NLT puts verse 1, “…my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is not water.” The land was parched, dry as a bone that had been lying in the dust for years. Oh, but it’s a dry heat–one that sucks the moisture right off your skin; it is like living in an oven. In this type of situation what draws our attention?
Notice that David is simply stating a fact about the wilderness he has found himself in. This was a wilderness of the desert, but also a wilderness of despair. Not only was his mouth dry from lack of water, but his soul was also parched. It is important to note what David did in this dire situation. He turned to praising God. Even if life is taken away he knows that God’s lovingkindness is better. David declares that his “soul shall be satisfied.” In our dry times when we don’t seem to know what to do. When we are in a dry and barren land physically or spiritually what is our reaction? Do we moan and groan as the Israelites did in the wilderness or do we lift up our hands in praise as David did? What do we search for to quench our thirst? The choice is ours.
“Better than life itself thy love,
Dearer than all beside to me;
For whom have I in heaven
Or what on earth, compared with thee?”
–James Montgomery