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.
Psalm 63:1
I’m not sure there is anything worse than being in a place where you are thirsty and have minimal water options. Imagine being at the beach. It’s 95 degrees, you’re sweating under the umbrella, there’s no breeze, and the lemon quench girl is miles away. The only water in sight is in front of you, and it’s filled with salt. Nobody’s drinking that water. The pier is nearly a mile from you, and you’re out of options. What do you do?
You stand up and wearily walk towards the pier seeking the refreshment your body so desperately needs. Each step is more challenging than the previous step.
Understand your need
There is no doubt we live in strange times. Hundreds of different belief systems, political parties falling apart, ethnicities failing to express empathy, and people are taking over cities with no plans to leave. During the chaos, what is your real need? Peace in the world is not your need, and civility among political parties will not quench your desire for unity. Your need is God.
For some reason, the power of God to reconcile man and work a transforming miracle in his life has taken second place to many other things in this world. Your need is God. I think I feel better about life when I understand that I’m not in control of things. I cannot control the weather any more than I can control what other people think or do. So what am I left with?
I’m left being thirsty under an umbrella at the beach with no breeze and no lemon quench girl.
Your first move is to recognize God as God. Your first move is to make sure that you have a relationship with God through Jesus (Romans 10:9).
After that, everything becomes a little clearer. You begin to understand that Scripture is the way God primarily reveals Himself to you. Study Scripture and learn how God responds and reacts in different situations. The more you know about God, the more He will quench your thirst.
Earnestly seek God
Seeking God is the hard part. When I dated my wife before we were married, I earnestly sought her. Well, I actually chased her and wore her down until she finally said: “yes to the dress!” I drove hundreds of miles each weekend to see her and earnestly seek her. She was and is so precious to me. Do you remember those days of dating? Earnestly seeking is just what you did. It’s the same thing with God. Except when you seek Him, you seek all you need.
Notice that the Psalmist says he is in a position where he recognizes his need and his situation. He’s not just earnestly seeking God. He is desperate for God. When you get to that place, things change in your life. Priorities change in your life because you are no longer driven by those unanswerable questions in life. Uncertainty becomes certainty with God.
The question today is simple. Do you seek God under each rock and page of Scripture? Some of you are in the desert right now and are reading this with a failing heart as you look around the world today. Take courage and seek God with all your heart. Remember, the primary way He speaks to you is through His word. So pick up a Bible and start reading through it and allow Him to speak to and encourage you. He desperately wants to fill that void in your heart.