Psalm 63:1 (I Thirst for You, my God)

Psalm 63:1

You, God, are my God,

    earnestly I seek You;

I thirst for You,

    my whole being longs for You,

in a dry and parched land

    where there is no water.

Have you ever felt like the poet who wrote these words? Are you in a dry and weary land calling out to God, praying that He will fill you? What does it mean for someone to thirst for God, and what does it mean for someone to be satisfied in Him?

It is written that all people, whether believers or non-believers, have a longing for God (Ecclesiastes 3:11), but in Scripture it says that only believers earnestly seek God. Anyone who seeks God earnestly will always find Him (Jeremiah 29:13), and yet it is those who earnestly seek God who say they "thirst" for Him. Believers are the ones who cry out, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God," (Psalm 42:1).

This begs a question, though. Why is it that believers say that they are thirsting for the Lord? Did Jesus not say, "whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life," (John 4:14)? It is assured that those who have been baptized by the Spirit and are believers (Matthew 3:11) are indeed filled with the living water that wells up to eternal life (1 Corinthians 12:13). This is not something only believers who lived after Christ knew, but a truth believers in the times of the Old Testament knew. The poet wrote of God, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows," (Psalm 23:5). The poet writes that he has been anointed by God (baptized by the Spirit), and says that because of this, his cup is filled and overflowing (like that of the eternally welling up water Jesus promises). 

You fill my cup up 'till it overflows

And it's the sweetest love that I've ever known

So pour it on me, all that I need, deep down in my soul

Fill my cup up 'til it overflows

-TobyMac

How then can the writer's of Scripture say that God has satisfied their thirst, and yet say they thirst for Him?

We can see this curious question demonstrated in the life of the prophet Elijah. He prophesied against an Israel that hardened its heart to God, and then he called upon God so that Israel would remember the God they serve and His mighty strength, and God answered him (1 Kings 18:37). It is after this triumph that the wicked queen of Israel, Jezebel, orders that Elijah be executed (1 Kings 19:2). We would expect that Elijah would now face Jezebel, and once again show that he serves a God who no one can oppose. Instead (and perhaps more honestly expected), "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life," (1 Kings 19:3). While running, this great prophet of God, who knows God's promises are always true, cries out "I have had enough, Lord,” and, “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors,” (1 Kings 19:4). At reading this we may expect that God would now abandon Elijah and leave him to die. Instead (and perhaps more honestly expected), God sends an angel to Elijah and the angel serves Elijah fresh baked bread and a whole jar of soothing water (1 Kings 19:5-6). After Elijah eats his fill and falls into a quiet rest, again the lord sends an angel to Elijah offering him good food and drink that fully strengthens him (1 Kings 19:7-8). Indeed, God sent this angel to attend to Elijah's physical needs (his thirst for water), but God was also reminding Elijah how He always fulfills Elijah's and our spiritual needs (our thirst for God).

Oftentimes, we as believers can become overwhelmed by our circumstances. We look at what is facing us, "a dry and parched land where there is no water" as the poet wrote, and it causes us to feel that we thirst for God, that our whole being longs for Him (Psalm 63:1). How quickly do we forget that God has given us a peace that surpasses anyone's understanding (Philippians 4:7)? How many times do we in our misperceptions quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19)? Perhaps we take our eyes off of God, and begin to fear that we will sink and be consumed by the storms around us (Matthew 14:30). It is assured "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged," (Deuteronomy 31:8). Our sense of spiritual dehydration and fear is only a phantom pain of our past lives, before we were made alive as new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Yes, Jesus says, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty," (John 6:35). God will always satisfy our spiritual needs. He promises, "I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand," (Isaiah 41:10).

We may sometimes thirst for the Lord, and forget that He has already satisfied our thirst and will always satisfy. In these times we should strive to remember what the poet wrote in the rest of Psalm 63 from verses 2 to 5:

I have seen You in the sanctuary

    and beheld Your power and Your glory.

Because Your love is better than life,

    my lips will glorify You.

I will praise You as long as I live,

    and in Your name I will lift up my hands.

I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;

    with singing lips my mouth will praise You.

Sources

• The Bible (New International Version)
• TobyMac: Overflow
• OpenBibleInfo: Thirsting for God
• OpenBibleInfo: Filled with the Holy Spirit