DEVOTION – DAY 271

Psalm 63:1 “Longing After God”

 

Psalm 63:1 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 who wrote this Psalm began by expressing how much he longed for the Lord, just as people facing a drought longed for rain and water. In the summer of 2022, many countries were facing an unprecedented dry spell. Countries like Spain, France, Central and South West China, Somalia and Kenya are all experiencing severe drought. Rivers and lakes are drying up. Like dry and weary land, people long for water for they see water as their life blood. In the same way, David acknowledged that his soul is like that of someone facing drought. Just as people long for water, he longs for God to satisfy the longings of his soul. He knew that God was his life blood and so, he would earnestly seek out God.

 

David’s kingship was not given to him just like that. He grew up as the son of Jesse and he was the least favored in his family. King Saul was jealous of David and King Saul made David’s life a misery. He even tried to kill David on several occasions. His soldiers went after David and he had to hide. But David knew that God was with him. It was God who had protected him and it was God who had sustained him. That was why David always longed for God because he knew he could not survive without God in his life.

 

We know someone who became a widow suddenly when her husband was killed. She was shocked and in despair because she had to face the prospect of having to bring up all her five children single-handedly. She was just a seamstress and they had little savings. How was she going to manage? She could only turn to God and cry out to Him for mercy. God gave her the strength to move on with her life for the sake of her children. She never lacked for work and her hard work enabled her to always have food to feed her family. And many of her children were able to do well enough to get scholarships to further their studies. The older children found work and were able to help their younger siblings to complete their studies. This woman knew that God had been good and gracious to her. She could honestly say that she would not have been able to face life without God and His providential hand over her and her family.

 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, you are the source of our strength. You are our Rock and our Shield. You provide for us. You protect us. We thank you for your grace and mercy upon us. Help us to be like King David to thirst and long for you all the days of our lives for it is you who sustains us. Help us to give you all the glory. In the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.  

 

Questions

  1. Have you ever longed for someone deeply before? What was it like?
  2. What does it mean to you to long for God the way David longed for Him?
  3. How has God sustained and provided for you?
  4. How has God been your Defender and Shield?