Psalm 63:1-8
Your Story
Talk about a time when you were so thirsty that all you could think about was getting some water. How did you feel once you get something to drink? Did you find yourself feeling grateful for the water you found?
My Story and the Bible Story
We went to camp one summer in the middle of July in the middle of Alabama. And man was it hot! The heat index was about 100 degrees every day. One day, after outdoor recreation, we were all dehydrated. All we could think about was finding a place to cool off. We went into the air-conditioned worship center, where we sat on the cool floor and took turns drinking from the water fountain. I was very grateful for water and air conditioning that day. Most of us take clean water and air conditioning for granted. But that day, we were grateful for a place to recover and water to drink.
Think about the hottest you have ever felt. Chances are pretty good that you were looking for a place to cool off and water to drink. As you think about that day, read Psalm 63:1-8. From the NIV: O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary 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. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
“My soul thirsts for you.” Have you ever thought about what that means? When we are thirsty, we long for something to drink. That’s all we think about. We look and look until we find something to drink. Our soul thirsts for God. It longs for God. God created us and God created our souls. He created us to worship God. And because of that, we long for God. There’s something in us that looks for God. There’s something in us for thirsts for God, like when we thirst for water on a really hot day. Our soul longs for God. And when we connect to God. When we worship God, when we pray to God, and when we feel God’s love, our soul is satisfied. If you’ve ever been outside on a very hot day and then come in to get some cold water and eat a popsicle, you know what that satisfaction feels like. You are happy and content because you are no longer thirsty and you feel nice and cool. When we spend time with God, our soul is content.
But when we don’t spend time with God, when we ignore God, when we’re too busy for God, when we do our best to quench our soul’s thirst, what happens? Our soul becomes thirstier and thirstier. It’s like trying to drink hot water or a hot soda on a hot day. It doesn’t help. In fact, you may feel even thirstier after trying to drink that. Your mouth gets dry and you feel hot and you look around for something that will help. And if you don’t get water when you’re hot and thirsty, then eventually, some really scary things can start to happen. Scary things may not happen when you ignore God, but when you don’t quench your soul’s thirst, you worry more. You are anxious. Things start to feel overwhelming. You feel like you’re missing something. When you spend time with God, though, you soul is “satisfied as with the richest of foods.” Your soul clings to God and God’s hand lifts you up. You remember that God’s got you. God will never let you go. You can rest in God and know that everything’s going to be okay. And like that cold water on a hot day, God’s presence quenches the thirst of your soul. You feel satisfied. When you find yourself thirsty, think about the thirst for God that your soul has. And make sure you are quenching that thirst too!
Discussion and Prayer
- Ask your children to talk about a time when they were really hot and thirsty. How did it feel to get something to drink?
- Talk about ways you can spend time with God. How can you quench your soul’s thirst?
- Talk about how all of our souls long for God. What are some ways you can share God with others?
Pray, thanking God for satisfying our souls. Ask for help in finding ways to spend time with God.
Jessica Asbell is currently serving as the Minister to Children at First Baptist Church of Roswell, GA. She has worked with children in various capacities at several churches, including Winter Park Baptist in Wilmington, NC, First Baptist of Decatur, GA, and Highland Hills Baptist in Macon, GA. She has a Master of Divinity from McAfee School of Theology and a BBA from Mercer University. In her spare time she loves to read, watch movies, and of course spend time with her sweet kitty, Lucy.
