MARCH 28
Psalm 63:1, “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.”
In 1849, during the California Gold Rush, a group of travelers attempted a shortcut through Death Valley but became lost. As their water supply dwindled, several members perished from thirst and exhaustion. Among them, one wandered away and succumbed to the desert’s brutal conditions. Survivors, barely escaped after enduring extreme dehydration. Their ordeal became a legendary testament to the dangers of desert travel and the desperation of those seeking survival.
This psalm is often associated with David’s time in the Judean wilderness, where he may have experienced similar hunger and thirst. Wandering through the arid landscape, he would have felt the deep fatigue and longing known only to those struggling through the desert. Yet, for David, physical thirst served as a powerful reminder of his greater spiritual thirst—his longing for God Himself.
No matter our circumstances, true satisfaction is found in God alone. Unlike the broken cisterns that hold no water, God is the fountain of living waters for those who seek Him (Jeremiah 2:13). As Charles Spurgeon beautifully expressed, “The absence of outward comforts can be borne with serenity when we walk with God; and the most lavish multiplication of them avails not when He withdraws. Only after God, therefore, let us pant.”
David understood this truth well—just as water is essential for survival in the wilderness, so is God’s presence the only source of true life and fulfillment.
“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’”—John 6:35
Application questions: Have you ever been so thirsty that all you could think about was your next drink of water? Translate that spiritually to your walk with Christ. David earnestly sought after God. Pray for a heart to do the same.
LookingtoJesus 