The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 15 September 2024 — My Soul Thirsts For God
TOPIC: My Soul Thirsts For God
READ: Psalm 63: 1-11 (NKJV)
- A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 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.
- So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.
- Because Your lovingkindness [is] better than life, My lips shall praise You.
- Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
- My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
- When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the [night] watches.
- Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
- My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.
- But those [who] seek my life, to destroy [it,] Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
- They shall fall by the sword; They shall be a portion for jackals.
- But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
THE MESSAGE:
In our text, we see how deeply the Psalmist longs for a closer fellowship with God. This is expressed in different ways in verses 1 to 8. Consider the three phrases used in verse 1: “Earnestly I seek you”, “My soul thirsts for you”, “My body longs for you.” The desire for divine fellowship is compared to that of a deer panting for streams of water (Psa. 42: 1). Moses expressed a similar hunger for unbroken fellowship with God in Exodus 33:18.
For Paul, his longing was “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and…” (Phil.3:10). How deep is your longing for God? Do you experience His presence and power as you worship Him in Church, at home or elsewhere? As you meditate on God’s word daily, you will find that God’s love is better than life itself, sweeter than honey (vv.6, 3; Psalm 119: 103). Then you can praise God from the depth of your heart, and life will be more meaningful and enjoyable (vv. 4, 5). Even when there are challenges or problems, you will find God to be your ever-present help (v.7; Isaiah 41: 10).
PRAYER: O God, you are my God, my soul thirsts for you!
