The water of His presence in a dry and thirsty land

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.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live; 
in your name I will lift up my hands.

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;
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.

But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
they shall be portions for jackals.
But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by him shall exult,
for the mouths of liars shall be stopped.
Ps. 63

     God has spoken words of His faithfulness and provision of love, hope, light, and victory over the countries we'll be going to for outreach this summer. We will be spending it in desert landscapes, both geographically and spiritually. He is the river in the desert, the source of life in a dry and thirsty land, both for us and also for those who do not yet know His name.

     The first stanza of this Psalm is reminiscent of the beginning of Psalm 23 - He provides a place of rest, of peace, of satisfaction, and provision. His steadfast love is the place we find green pastures and still waters. Our God - our GOD! - is our good Shepherd.

The LORD is my shepherd:
I shall not want. 
He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside the still waters. 
He restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name sake.

     The second stanza of Psalm 63 begins with this idea as well - He satisfies us abundantly. He meets us in the quiet places and reminds us of His goodness. We find rest, safety, and support under the shadow of His wings. This theme is also spoken of in the beginning of Psalm 91.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say the the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.' 

     In Psalm 63, there is a dogged pursuit of the God who is the source of our life. The Psalmist is literally in the desert as He writes this psalm and he compares the terrain around him to the terrain of his inner man. He compares the life-giving sources of water in the desert to the life-giving source of the Water of Life. He has a hunger for the One who satisfies with 'fat and rich food.' 

     What is that 'fat and rich food' with which He is satisfied? His presence. What is the 'water in a dry and thirsty land'? His presence. What does he earnestly seek in this desert? His presence. And what does the psalmist compare His presence to? 'Water in a dry and weary land,'  'fat and rich food,'  'a shelter in the shadow of His wings'

     Do you see the presence of God this way? Do I? How do we cultivate an understanding of God and His presence in such a way that we long for it, we thirst for it, that we earnestly seek it? Why wouldn't we? It is life-giving. It satisfies our soul like a banquet would. It fills our hearts with peace and joy and our response is praise! It satisfies. It fills us up to to overflowing with peace. We find a shelter in it, a place of rest, of just being. Striving does not exist in this place, and don't we all want a place like that?

What is keeping you from hungering for His presence? What are you filling your time with that pushes time with Him out? What puddles are you drinking from when you could be plunging into the river of His peace? What junk food are you feasting on instead of the 'fat and rich food' of His love and acceptance of you?