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
Growing up in Arizona, I totally resonate with the feeling King David was trying to convey. “Dry and parched land where there is no water”—pretty sure he was talking about Phoenix.
In AZ, my brothers and I loved to do anything and everything outside. On a summer day in Phoenix when the sidewalk could fry an egg, we knew what it meant to be thirsty. After hours of sports in the oven-like heat, we would rush inside to the fridge, throw it open, grab the nearest water bottle, and down the whole thing.
That’s what comes to mind when I read this verse. The earnest desperation that King David has for the presence of God. His son, Absalom has been chasing after him, trying to kill him and steal the throne. David has fled to the desert. Where is God? Where can He be found?
Have you ever felt that desperation for God to come, to show up, to be present? Those moments feel like a desert. Where is God?
He’s close. Our God does not hide himself from us. In fact, it’s we who hide from Him. He knows this, which is why He comes to us in countless places. The water of baptism, bread and wine of communion, rhythms of worship, relationships of Christian community, beauty of nature, a rugged cross and vacant tomb. No matter how dry and parched the desert that you’re in feels, your God comes to you. And His presence is always more refreshing than the coldest drink on the hottest day.
God, you are my God! I am desperate for your presence. I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you. I need you now and every moment of every day. Right now, it feels like I’m wandering in a desert with no water. Fill me with your Spirit so that I will be full of living water! In Jesus name, Amen.
Rev. Caleb Cox ’13
Redeemer Lutheran Church and Preschool, Fort Collins, CO