Psalm 143:6(KJV)
I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land.
The opening words of this Psalm may very well be the most important, for these words frame the relationship David had with God. David prayed passionate, soulful prayers because of his deep, intimate relationship with God. His devotion to God was more brutal than anything else; his thirst for God made him seek God early, even in a dry and thirsty land(Psalm 63:1-3). As the soil cracks and yawns and opens its mouth in dumb petitions, so does David’s soul break with his longings for God. David’s soul felt parched and dry, which made him cry out for the Presence of God; his thoughts of God kindled in him burning desires. He also said in Psalm 42:1-2, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:……” David’s heart beats and pants after the Presence of God, and his thirst expresses his passion for God on the prayer altar. Changing his mind was not an option for him. He was so addicted to God. Psalm 84:2 says, “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.”
One significant proof of dedication to God is our undivided passion for Him. It’s the unquenchable hunger or thirst we cannot satisfy. Our devotion to God comes to the point where no amount of worldly possession or height of earthly attainment in this world takes the place of our pursuit of God. In pursuing God, every department of our hearts is to be united and not divided or distracted by several activities, fantasies, and deceit of this world. Our hearts are much like that sunbaked land, nearly audibly crying for the Presence of the Lord. When we do not have Him, the heart becomes parched, cracked, dry, and unproductive. John 4:13-14 says, “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” As children of God, our desires should be more of God, to know Him more, and to come to the full measure of the stature of Christ, for only God can water our poor souls with His presence, truth, peace, and salvation.
Beloved, pursue God with focus and unity of your heart and refuse to have a divided heart in seeking God. Pant for His Word and Presence more than ever before. Study the Word and pray consistently. Refuse to live an ordinary life, do all you can to affect your generation. In your dedication to God, the devil, and his agents must recognize that you passed through this world and were ready to stand for God. Today, reach out to God and allow your thirst for Him to grow in intensity as never before as a child who longs for a mother. The stronger the desire, the more of Him you will experience; He will quench every thirst in your life. The more of Him you have, the less room there is for the world and its baggage! Stretch your hands to Him and allow your thirst for Him to drive you closer daily! Ask God to baptize you with an unconquerable passion for His Presence, so you will be interested in what He is interested in. Remember, there is fullness of joy, preservation, provision, and peace in His Presence.
O LORD, increase my thirst for You as I learn to draw from You the only water that quenches this dry and thirsty soul in Jesus’ Name.