Tag Archives: thirst

Cultivating a Heart That Thirsts for God

05 Thursday Dec 2024

Posted by in Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 63:1-5
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
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.
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 (NIV).

water-in-hands-400x400-1

Reflection
A healthy human body can go as much as ninety days without food, but only about ten days without water. Water is life. Without it we perish.

A few years ago, with great fanfare, it was announced liquid water had been discovered on the surface of Mars. This opens the possibility of microbial life on or just beneath the Martian surface. What is more important, human life can be sustained on Mars for long periods if water is present.

The introductory note to Psalm 63 informs us David composed this psalm, when he was in the Desert of Judah. But there is something quite startling about this psalm. David is not crying out for water as we might expect. Instead, David is crying out for God. He’s not seeking for water; he is earnestly seeking for God.

Hear David’s desperate plea, “I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water” (v.1).

When was the last time you thirsted for God like a man trekking in the heat of the desert? I must confess I’m better at ignoring God than seeking Him. But that was not David’s mindset. David recognized his need for God. He was thirsty for Him.

Our thirst for God should be a constant in our lives. As I write this, I pause for sips of my morning coffee. It’s a thirst I have—a longing that prompts me to pick up my cup. At various times through the day do I thirst for God in the same way? Do I long for His Spirit and the thrill of His presence near me?

Are you spending your days in a spiritual desert? Are you yearning for intimacy with God? Oh, that we might thirst for God as David did!

Response: LORD God, I want more of you in my life. Help me to sing and praise your name and draw my satisfaction from you. You are the true source of life and joy. All my springs of joy are in you. Amen.

Your Turn: How can we cultivate a personal thirst for God? Do you find yourself yearning for times of spiritual refreshing?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.
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New from David Kitz
TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Turn to the Living Water

15 Tuesday Oct 2024

Posted by in Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 42:1-5
For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
These things I remember as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy
and praise among the festive throng.
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God (NIV).

IMG_7635 (1)Reflection
Thirst is one of our most basic cravings. Our need for water far exceeds our need for food. The human body can go 60 days or more without food, but only about ten days without water. Your body needs water because it is water. About two thirds, (2/3) of your body weight is water.

But you are more than skin filled with bones and water. Paul, the apostle, closes his first letter to the Thessalonians with this prayer, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

As Paul states, we are spirit, soul, and body. By nature—by God’s design—you are two thirds, (2/3) spiritual. You are more than a collection of molecules. You are a living soul with a spirit that was designed and intended to commune with God. Therefore, just as our physical body thirsts for water, so our spiritual man thirsts for God.

This should be our constant prayer, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (v. 1-2)

Are you thirsting for God? The truth is we all thirst for God. Some of us know how to mask our thirst or we substitute other things for the true living water. But the thirst remains. We need to heed Jesus’ invitation. On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7:37).

Response: LORD God, I thank you for Jesus. I am thankful you are the true water of life and when we drink of your Spirit, springs of water flow from us. Hallelujah! Amen.

Your Turn: Have you tasted the life-changing, life-invigorating water of Christ?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

New from David Kitz
TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

They Gave Me Vinegar

03 Thursday Aug 2023

Posted by in Psalm 69

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Reading: Psalm 69:19-28
You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;
all my enemies are before you.
Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but I found none.
They put gall in my food
and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
May the table set before them become a snare;
may it become retribution and a trap.
May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.
Pour out your wrath on them;
let your fierce anger overtake them.
May their place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
For they persecute those you wound
and talk about the pain of those you hurt.
Charge them with crime upon crime;
do not let them share in your salvation.
May they be blotted out of the book of life
and not be listed with the righteous (NIV). *

img_20211111_1625480

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Vinegar is not the first thing I would reach for if I wanted to quench my thirst. Vinegar sets my teeth on edge. It curdles milk. It crinkles the stomach. Why? Because it’s acid, a naturally occurring acid.

You don’t give your friend acid to drink. But at his crucifixion that’s what the soldiers gave Jesus to quench his thirst. The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar (Luke 23:36).

Like many of David’s psalms, there is a prophetic element in them, and in this portion of Psalm 69, we see that prophetic element vividly portrayed. Jesus experienced the rejection described here. His friends deserted him. There were none to comfort him. He was scorned, disgraced, and shamed. As he hung dying, he was given vinegar for his thirst.

The retribution this psalm calls for fell on Judas. In Acts 1:20, Peter references this psalm as he speaks of the judgment that fell on Judas for his betrayal of Jesus. Yet in his moment of weakness even Peter denied knowing the Lord.

When our time of testing comes will we stand true to the Lord?

Response: Lord Jesus, you suffered rejection on my behalf. Help me be faithful to you when the world mocks you. Help me stand true. Give me courage through the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Your Turn: Are there times when you have failed to take a stand for the Lord? Has fear hindered you? How have you stood true, aligning yourself with Jesus?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Your prayers for the people of Ukraine are making a difference.

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild, and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. Start your day with a new devotional series. To purchase or for a closer look click here.
Vol III 2021-07-17 at 8.15.36 AM

The Fruit of His Work

06 Sunday Dec 2020

Posted by in Psalm 104, Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

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I will praise the LORD!

image

Photo courtesy of Timothy Kitz

He makes springs pour water
into the ravines;
    it flows between the mountains.
They give water to all the beasts of the field;
    the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
    they sing among the branches.
He waters the mountains
from his upper chambers;
    the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
    and plants for people to cultivate—
    bringing forth food from the earth:
wine that gladdens human hearts,
    oil to make their faces shine,
    and bread that sustains their hearts.

(Psalm 104:10-15, NIV)*

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Scorn Has Broken my Heart

09 Friday Oct 2020

Posted by in Psalm 69, Psalms

≈ 4 Comments

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Reading: Psalm 69
(Verses 19-28)
You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;
all my enemies are before you.
Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but I found none.
They put gall in my food
and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
May the table set before them become a snare;
may it become retribution and a trap.
May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.
Pour out your wrath on them;
let your fierce anger overtake them.
May their place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
For they persecute those you wound
and talk about the pain of those you hurt.
Charge them with crime upon crime;
do not let them share in your salvation.
May they be blotted out of the book of life
and not be listed with the righteous (NIV).*

IMG_20200928_1303464_2 (1)

Gatineau Park trail — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Vinegar is not the first thing I would reach for, if I wanted to quench my thirst. Vinegar sets my teeth on edge. It curdles milk. It crinkles the stomach. Why? Because it’s acid, a naturally occurring acid.

You don’t give your friend acid to drink. But at his crucifixion that’s what the soldiers gave Jesus to quench his thirst. The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar (Luke 23:36).

Like many of David’s psalms, there is a prophetic element in them and in this portion of Psalm 69; we see that prophetic element vividly portrayed. Jesus experienced the rejection described here. His friends deserted him. There were none to comfort him. He was scorned, disgraced and shamed. As he hung dying, he was given vinegar for his thirst.

The retribution that this psalm calls for fell on Judas. In Acts 1:20, Peter references this psalm as he speaks of the judgment that fell on Judas for his betrayal of Jesus. Yet in his moment of weakness even Peter denied knowing the Lord.

When our time of testing comes will we stand true to the Lord?

Response: Lord Jesus, you suffered rejection on my behalf. Help me be faithful to you when the world mocks you. Help me stand true. Give me courage through the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you always stood true, aligning yourself with Jesus?

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Some good news: The first volume of 365 Days through the Psalms by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in November, 2020, by Elk Lake Publishing. Two additional volumes will follow in 2021 to complete the three volume set of devotions from the Psalms.

Your Love Is Better than Life

01 Saturday Aug 2020

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 63, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

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I will praise the LORD!

img_20190722_1928546-effects

Ottawa River — photo by David Kitz

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.

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.

  (Psalm 63:1-5, NIV)*

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

My soul thirsts for the Living God

27 Monday Jul 2020

Posted by in Devotions, Psalm 42, Psalms

≈ 7 Comments

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Reading: Psalm 42
For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.
(Verses 1-5)
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
These things I remember as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God (NIV).*

img_20200713_0914147

The muddy waters of Green’s Creek — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Thirst is one of our most basic cravings. Our need for water far exceeds our need for food. The human body can go 60 days or more without food, but only about ten days without water. Your body needs water because it is water. About two thirds, (2/3) of your body weight is water.

But you are more than skin filled with bones and water. Paul, the apostle, closes his first letter to the Thessalonians with this prayer, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (Thessalonians 5:23).

As Paul states, we are spirit, soul and body. By nature—by God’s design—you are two thirds, (2/3) spiritual. You are more than a collection of molecules. You are a living soul with a spirit that was designed and intended to commune with God. Therefore, just as our physical body thirsts for water, so our spiritual man thirsts for God.

This should be our constant prayer, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” 

Are you thirsting for God? The truth is we all thirst for God. Some of us know how to mask our thirst, or we substitute other things for the true living water. But the thirst remains. We need to heed Jesus’ invitation. On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7:37).

Response: LORD God, I thank you for Jesus. I am thankful that you are the true water of life and when we drink of your Spirit, springs of water flow from us. Hallelujah! Amen.

Your Turn: Have you tasted the life-changing, life-invigorating water of Christ?

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Because of open heart surgery, publication of this post by award-winning author David Kitz has been delayed until 2021. God willing, 365 Days through the Psalms will eventually be published by Elk Lake Publishing. In the interim, please pray for my return to good health.

My Soul Thirsts for God

04 Saturday Apr 2020

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 42, Psalms

≈ 6 Comments

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I will praise the LORD!

close up photo of deer eating grass

Photo by Bibhukalyan Acharya on Pexels.com

For the director of music. A maskil of the sons of Korah.

As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”
These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
    under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
    among the festive throng.

  (Psalm 42:1-4, NIV)*

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Thirsting for God

23 Tuesday Apr 2019

Posted by in Psalm 63, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

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Reading: Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
(Verses 1-5)
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.
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 (NIV).

2019-04-15

Spring blossoms, Tsawwassen, BC — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
A healthy human body can go as much as ninety days without food, but only about ten days without water. Water is life. Without it we perish.

A few years ago with great fanfare, it was announced that liquid water had been discovered on the surface of Mars. This opens the possibility of microbial life on or just beneath the Martian surface. What is more important, human life can be sustained on Mars for long periods if water is present.

The introductory note to Psalm 63 informs us that David composed this psalm, when he was in the Desert of Judah. But there is something quite startling about this psalm. David is not crying out for water as we might expect. Instead, David is crying out for God. He’s not seeking for water; he is earnestly seeking for God.

Hear David’s desperate plea, “I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” 

When was the last time you thirsted for God like a man trekking in the heat of the desert? I must confess I’m better at ignoring God than seeking Him. But that was not David’s mindset. David recognized his need for God. He was thirsty for Him.

Our thirst for God should be a constant in our lives. As I write this, I pause for sips of my morning coffee. It’s a thirst I have—a longing that prompts me to pick up my cup. At various times throughout the day do I thirst for God in the same way? Do I long for His Spirit and the thrill of His presence near me?

Are you spending your days in a spiritual desert? Are you yearning for intimacy with God? Oh that we might thirst for God as David did!

Response: LORD God, I want more of you in my life. Help me to sing and praise your name, and draw my satisfaction from you. You are the true source of life and joy. All my springs of joy are in you. Amen.

Your Turn: How can we cultivate a personal thirst for God?