A Thirst for God

A THIRST FOR GOD (Psalm 63) Psalm 63 was composed by David when he was in the desert of Judah. That was when he fled from his son, Absalom. No event in his life was more painful than this. To be pursued by his own son is the most painful time for a father. What did David do during his most discouraging moment? He prayed and composed a song. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry  and weary land where there is no water. David was in the desert. We know what that is. It is a dry land where there is no water. But David was not only in the physical desert, he also was in the desert emotionally and spiritually. His soul was so dry. He thirsts for God. What will you do if you’re in your emotional and spiritual desert? David did two things to satisfy his thirst for God. The first one is recorded in verse 2; the other is in verse 6. 1. David sought to see the glory of God and 2. David recalled and pondered the goodness of God Like David, We can quench our thirst for God by: SEEING THE GLORY OF GOD So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. (Psalm 63:2) We can see the glory of God everywhere but we can see him most often in our quiet place or sanctuary. David searched for God in the sanctuary. It could be the tent where the ark of the covenant of God was or  the cave where he was hiding. Anywhere can be a sanctuary for God. We can see God’s beauty by looking at creation. We can see His sovereignty when we study history. But we experience his steadfast love most often in our quiet place. “Because your steadfast love is better  than life, my lips will praise you.” (Psalm 63:3) Is there anything better than life? Yes. The love of God is better than life. Because of his love and mercy, God is worth praising as long as we live. “So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my  hands.” (Psalm 63:4)

SAVORING THE GOODNESS OF GOD The other way to satisfy our thirst for God is to remember and meditate him – that is to ponder or reflect or savor his goodness. And this is easiest to do in our bed. David said, My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I  remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; (Psalm 63:5-6) Our brain processes data faster during night time - when we are about to go to sleep. How sweet is the night when we dream of the goodness of God! Meditation is to our brain as digestion is to our stomach. It is the moment when we are savoring every piece of information we downloaded to our brain. It is coupled with memorization, analysis and imagination. We are at our most intelligent moment when we meditate.

When David meditates on God, he recalled the goodness of God: For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your  right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:7-8) Do you thirst for God? It is not surprising if you don’t. Basically, we don't thirst for God. God lamented for it in Jeremiah 2:12-13. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for  themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. By nature, we don’t thirst for God. We thirst for sin instead. What we are is like a man digging a well in the sand besides an overflowing spring of fresh water. God lamented, “Be appalled at this, O heavens! Be shocked with this unbelievable and inconceivable act of man. I stand by their side as the fountain of living water – ready to satisfy every longing they have. But they committed two evils: they have forsaken me. And they dug wells – wells which do not have any water in it! Why dig a well in the desert and when we can come to a spring for free? The LORD invites us all to come. (Isaiah 55:1-6) “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk  without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?  Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. May we sing like the choirs of Korah.  As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? (Psalm 42:1-3) And pay attention to David’s invitation: Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Psalm 34:8)