Feasting on God

His eyes squinted wearily upwards from the scorched earth to the blazing sun, searching desperately for something—anything—that might resemble a raincloud. But there was nothing—nothing but the fiery orb glaring back at him, refusing to allow him any hope as it baked the desert below. It had been two or three days since he’d had a drink, and his body was beginning to shut down.

Finding water had gone from being an important side mission—secondary to reaching his destination—to the singular desire of his being. He existed to find water. Water was life. And sure enough, if he didn’t find it soon, he would die. Already his mind was playing tricks on him, flashing tempting images across the cracked, empty landscape that stretched before him. But it wasn’t real. There was no water to be found.

“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, ESV)

These words of Scripture help us understand that our need for God is every bit as critical as a desert traveler’s need for water. If we don’t get a drink, we will die. When David wrote the words of this song, he was traveling in the wilderness, living on the run as Saul the king of Israel sought to take his life. Before this, David had enjoyed the comforts and distractions of palace living, but at this moment, he was surrounded by need and was forced to look to God to sustain him.

We, too, need God like a man dying of thirst needs a drink of water. The trouble is, our bodies can go on living without this drink, staggering through life unaware, but our souls die without the life-giving fountain of God’s Spirit. We don’t recognize how much we need Him. And sometimes, when we do recognize it, we still miss the amazing truth David shares in this psalm. You see, David didn’t just need God, he was satisfied with God.

The truth is, God isn’t just like a drink to a thirsty traveler, he’s more like a steak dinner at a five-star restaurant to a starving orphan in the slums of Calcutta. David says, “My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you ...” (Psalm 63:5-6). David’s thirsty soul needs God, but he doesn’t just get what he needs from God, he discovers that God is more than what he needs. God is abundance! Every desire we experience in this world is ultimately satisfied by God’s own nature. Unfortunately, our souls forget. But David gives us some ammunition for the fight against this spiritual amnesia.

He says his soul was satisfied, “… when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help,” (Psalm 63:6-7). David brought God to mind in those moments when his soul was thirsty. He remembered the times God was there for him, helping him, intervening in the world around him. We can do the same, remembering when God has saved the day in our own lives, beginning to feast on His faithfulness. We can taste and see that the Lord is good! And we can join David in declaring God’s promises for us, reminding our souls what we have in Him and experiencing the faith that comes through hearing the Word. Let’s feast on God today!

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Scripture is quoted from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.