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O God, you are my God, 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; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips when I think of you on 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 sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:1-8)
Have you ever been really thirsty, dear Friend? I mean, really thirsty, like after a surgery and you saw NPO over your bed, and loved ones wiped your lips with a creepy spongy thing? When the day finally came that you could have a drink of water, wasn't that the best feeling?
I had a dear friend in a church member of one of my churches who was originally from Panama by way of New York City. He swore up and down that the best tap water was that found in NYC! Some time later, Nellie and I got to visit New York and we tasted the tap water in a diner and it was among the best water we had had. Now, water from your well, or your hometown may be your favorite and in your opinion it may be the best; but we know the true purpose of water - to satisfy one's thirst. Has your soul ever been thirsty for God? I started this devotional around this time, twenty years ago, because I heard fellow pastors, serving as campus ministers, say they were thirsty for God and felt they were dying of thirst because they no longer read the Bible as they should. They saw the Bible as the source for sermons (and I was thankful for that), but since they no longer preached every Sunday, the Bible was set aside and their souls grew thirsty. I said to myself and to Nellie, that I would read the lectionary texts every day for every week, to allow my soul to drink deep the living waters of God and to feast on God's holy word.
As the psalmist knew, living in a desert region, one can grow very thirsty, and if drinking water is not found, one can faint, and if water is not found soon enough, one can also die. David knew that drinking from the well of righteousness that is the worship of the Living God was exactly what he needed daily, and those days when he could enter the sanctuary of worship was a day of feasting and drinking, all while "beholding (God's) power and glory." As necessary was to use his lips to praise God; which, thank God, we do every Sunday when in church, and every day when led by the Spirit. Prayer is also a form of drink; and as often as we (should) drink water, we should pray and allow our parched lips to drink deep the water of life as found in connecting with God.
The Message Bible says for the closing verses, "I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy; I smack my lips. It's time to shout praises!" Okay, it's early morning for me, so the idea of prime rib and gravy is not that appealing at this hour, but I can relate; God is a feast of fine food for the soul. David continues, "If I'm sleepless at midnight, I spend the hours in grateful reflection." Quite a contrast to staying up with worry and fretting, wouldn't you say? Most of the great leaders have written that before bed, they take time to reflect on their day and to list that which blessed them, and that which did not, and make plans to address and correct the things in which they believed they failed. Sounds like a plan to me! And in the final verses, " Because you've always stood up for me, I'm free to run and play." Jesus said the Kingdom of God was for the little ones, so why not act like one from time to time, especially when one is in praise of God? This closes the passage, "I hold on to you for dear life, and you hold me steady as a post." And these are not FaceBook posts that he's talking about; these are the sturdy and steady posts that hold buildings together, and the kind that God provides to hold us together!
PRAYER: Loving God, hold me together if I'm falling apart. When I'm up at night, remind me of Your goodness and mercy, and may rest come to me. But, above all things, let me drink deep the water of life and hope from Your well of mercy and love. This I pray in Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be the "water boy/girl" for someone today, pointing them the way to living water!
Eradio Valverde
