PSALM 63:1
“O God, You are my God; I earnestly search for You. My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water.”
This psalm is said to be written by David while he was in the wilderness of Judah. Although I live surrounded by mountains and have had more than our share of rain recently I can totally identify with this verse.
At times I have felt that desperate longing for God; some call it the “Dark Night of the Soul”. I think David describes it perfectly, because just as the body cannot survive without water, the soul cannot survive without God.
I used to have those desolate days where I seemed surrounded by darkness. Sometimes I screamed out to God seeking His comfort and heard nothing in return. Fully consumed with despair, all I can hear are the negative tapes spinning in my head.
Recently, the Lord put on my heart to develop a Bible Study about truly living as a citizen of heaven. The first part of the Bible Study involves a self-assessment; the second part involves making the appropriate attitude adjustments. These two steps have allowed me to see the folly of allowing negative thoughts to control my attitude. I have come to realize the self-assessment and attitude adjustment are lifelong processes. The third step of the Study is to develop a more intense personal study discipline of God’s Word.
Through the study of God’s Word I discovered a few appropriate truths. In Proverbs 15: 15, we are told, “For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.” (NLT) A few verses earlier in Proverbs 15:13, the writer states, “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” (NIV)
No comments:
Post a Comment