God of abundant life, make the life of this dear reader more abundant today by removing challenges that You can handle; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Moving from one city to another requires the taste buds to adapt to new water. I won't go into detail about how different cities and towns have different tasting water because you know they do. I will concur with the experts and agree, believe it or not, that New York City has the best tasting tap water in the country. But taste aside, water is precious and powerful. Water is the only thing created by God that can quench the deepest thrist of any human being. Try as they may, scientists have created vitamin-enhanced water, energy drink water, and salt replenishing water in drinks like Gatorade and Powerade, but when one is thirsty, only water will do. The creatures of the wild seek only water. Hear this beautiful Psalm 42 with that thought in mind:
1 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, "Where is your God?" 4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help 6 and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billows have gone over me. 8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God, my rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?" 10 As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, "Where is your God?" 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.
All this week the selected readings have to do with our realization that we need God in all things. The absence of God will lead us into the most depressing and life-draining experiences and places. The Psalmist had seen the thirsty deer run to the water and compared that animal's deep thrist for the spiritual thirst in his heart. He knew that if he drank deeply from the presence of God everything else he mentions in the psalm would be quenched: His sadness (tears are also water), his anguish, his depression, his need to worship fully again.
We who know the power of worship know those times we miss or can't attend worship, drain us of our spiritual energy. If we try going without drinking adequate amounts of water you know what happens to our bodies; the same happens to our spirits when we don't reconnect with God as we should.
PRAYER: Loving God, quench the thirsting of my soul. Let me be in worship today and all days, and when Sunday comes, let the fullness of Your presence fill and satisfy me for another week. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
Eradio Valverde
PS: On a personal note: I'm thanking God for the birthday of my beautiful wife!
