Our Reading: Psalm 63, also Proverbs 20:28 & John 10:30

Today, I want to talk about a spiritual checkup.  Just like we take time to go to the doctor to get an assessment of our physical well-being and determine areas that need attending to, we also need to do spiritual checkups and make sure our spiritual well being is healthy. The number one question to ask yourself is: Who or what is at the top of my life priority list right now? Where do I put my time, my efforts, my thoughts, my energy? What or whom do I pursue? If God is not your top answer then perhaps you have become spiritually complacent. This is not a healthy place to be. “Complacency is the deadly enemy of spiritual progress. The contented soul is the stagnant soul.”- Aiden Wilson Tozer

We must not be content to just stay where we are spiritually. I remember many years ago, my husband and I were working with a Christian counselor on our marriage relationship. Our marriage had been in such failure that divorce papers had actually been drawn up. He asked how things had been going for the past few weeks and I said “ok. Not really any worse but not really much better. Just ok”. I thought that was a good sign, but he told me that “if a relationship is not growing and thriving and moving forward, then it essentially is dying and it’s just a matter of time before it withers away”. That got my attention and changed how I attended to and assessed the health of my marriage. It also changed my view on my spiritual relationship with God. My relationships can not grow if they stay the same. It’s about pursuing connection and understanding. 

In Psalm 63, David gives us an example of why he had such a strong spiritual walk with the Lord. He pursued this relationship with passion and definitely made God number one at the top of his priority list. He was not content to be complacent. 

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”  Psalm‬ ‭63‬:‭1‬ ‭

Is that how you seek God? Is He the very essence of your survival? In a desert land without water, what good would any material possession be if you couldn’t quench your thirst? How much help could friends or family provide if they had no water to offer? You might survive a few days without water but death would certainly be inevitable. Spiritually we are in a desert of death without God’s living water to quench our thirst. 

Fortunately, God seeks to meet our need in the spiritual deserts and wilderness. He wants to be our caregiver and to have us rely on Him for our every need.

“"He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭10‬ ‭

God has always wanted to help us and provided deliverance for us. He knows our needs and He is the only One who offers us hope.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭19‬ ‭

He wants to strengthen us and He wants us to be spiritually thriving and effective. It’s about being in a relationship where He guides and teaches us. It’s a growing relationship, not a stagnant one. 

“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭11‬ ‭

He is looking for those who are thirsty and seeking Him. Is that you?

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬ ‭

“And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.”  Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭6‬ ‭

Reflection:

As you read Psalm 63, what stands out to you as keys to David’s passionate pursuit of God? 

Reflect upon the following hymn and search your heart to see if this is your true desire as well. For today, may this also serve as our closing prayer.

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship Thee

You’re my Friend and You are my Brother
Even though You are a King
I love You more than any other
So much more than anything

I want You more than gold or silver
Only You can satisfy
You alone are the real joy-giver
And the apple of my eye.

Chorus:

You alone are my Strength, my Shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship Thee.

As The Deer Panteth for the Water Martin Nystrom, 1984