Psalm 63 - Desparate Thirst

When I read this psalm, I can't help but stop at at the first verse:

O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.

Such an image it presents, with the idea of thirsting for God like you thirst in a land with no water. I can only imagine what that feels like because I have never been that thirsty. But I know David and the nation of Judah understood that thirst. They knew what it was like to be without water and to struggle to get very little water. And they experienced finding water in little trickles,  so little that you can't help but get dirt mixed in with the water, but you drink anyway because of your great thirst.They did not have a faucet as we do, to provide water, or bottled water available that is pure and clean.

So, instead, I think of experiences that I can relate too, where my desire for something has been so great, that I would give and sacrifice everything to acquire it. That is the thirst David is talking about. What I come to that is the closest for me are the times when my heart cries out for another person, just their presence and a hug that let's me know that things will be OK and that I matter and am important. Those moments when life seems more than I can handle.

The beauty of it, is that in those moments, God is there. I cry out, scream and groan, and God's presence comes to me. I feel God, present, whispering that I am loved, I am strong, I will see the other side of this.

And in that whisper, I start to remember. I remember the blessings God has given me, family, friends, food, shelter, the ability to think and reason, the gift of giving to others and I feel grateful; grateful that I am a part of the world around me and that my life has impact on those around me. I remember that we are all connected and that I can find joy in your joy; that I share that joy and that you share my pain. And together, we will see the sun rise and a new day come.

This is what that thirst feels like and why I thirst for God, because God fills a place in my heart. God knows every crevice of who I am and God loves me.

Do you thirst for God? Do you crave to feel in unity with God  and the world around you? How do you experience that thirst? What in your life helps you to understand what it means to truly thirst as the psalm describes?

Holy One is a song by Casting Crowns that speaks to that psalm.