Something God has put on my heart lately is how much we really need Him. I have been going back to Psalm 63. David is in the wilderness of Judah and writes “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is on water.”
He goes on to talk about how God’s love is better than life and that his lips will praise Him, that he will lift up his hands in God’s Name and bless Him, and that his soul is satisfied with great joy from God.
Living in the US, it is easy to think that we are set, that our needs are pretty well met. After all, we have a home, food, clothes, cars, toys, etc… It is easy to placate our lives with these fillers and then try to fool ourselves into thinking that “we’re good”.
However, there are going to be times where we are out in the wilderness, much like David found himself in as he wrote this Psalm. There will most likely be times in our lives where our surroundings don’t really have much to offer. In that time, we will most likely find ourselves seeking for things that meet our uttermost needs. Surely you would be thirsty, tired, hot, overwhelmed, and who knows what else.
David was surely reflecting on these things as he wrote down this psalm. Even in the midst of the wilderness, he was able to think about what is even more important than our physical need: our spiritual need, our need for God. David made his fair share of mistakes along the way in his life, but he always ran back to God rather than turning away. He was able to reveal godly wisdom here in comparing his need for God to what its like being in a dry and weary land with no water. Nothing else really matters in comparison. Our entire life, our hope, our future, it is all rooted in, grounded and dependent upon Jesus Christ.
Imagine being in the most desolate of places on earth. No food. No water. The air is dry and hot, no shelter from the sun. It would be utterly painful. You are desperate for water, for shelter, etc…
That is what our life is like without God. We might not always realize it, but when our lives hit rough spots, we can find ourselves wondering “why me, why this, why now, what is going on?”
Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to state that the Christian life is without struggles, hardships, etc… We all face those. The important thing is that Jesus is there to help hold us up when we face those times. He is like a drink of cold water when we’re lost in the desert. I want this to encourage you. It isn’t something that we should use to cast shame upon ourselves. We shouldn’t dwell on the “would’ve, could’ve, should’ve” moments. Nope!
What we should focus on is: what can I do now to make the most of my life from this moment forward? There is hope in Jesus Christ! He’s there for you, and not just in the “desert moments” but always, everyday, no matter what you’re going through: highs, lows, ups, downs, and everything in between! Why? Because He loves you!
In case you didn’t already know this, Jesus gave His life upon the cross for you. We have all sinned. We have all made mistakes. But Jesus came here without sin, without any mistakes, wrong turns, bad choices, etc… He was and is pure, holy, blameless, and without sin. He loved us so much that He willingly took our place in sin and in death and took the punishment of our sin upon His own life. But Christ, being God, couldn’t be held down in death and He rose on the 3rd day. He went through the temptations we face but navigated them without sin. In doing this, He has shown us that He can come along our side and give us wisdom and direction.
He’s there, ready for you! If you have any questions about any of this or something it made you think of, don’t hesitate to ask me!
Blessings,
Kyle