August 11 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

These meditations are on the psalms. All those songs about Zion, the temple, and the Son of David really make sense when they are sung In the New Testament church.

Bible Reading:

Psalm 63

Bible Text:

My soul thirsts for you.... My soul will be satisfied.... My soul clings to you (Ps. 63:1, 5, 8).

Devotional:

This psalmist says he is in a "dry and weary land where there is no water" (v. 1). Is he really in the desert, or does he mean that in the landscape of this world we are all thirsty people in a waterless land?

It is certainly true that we were all born thirsty and that our cravings constantly cry for satisfaction. Those who don't learn to bridle the wild animal of their desires will dash from one puddle of water to another, seeking fulfillment. Those who learn to channel their thirst find temporary satisfaction in work, money, and adventure. Still, they too remain thirsty.

The psalmist thirsts for God. Three times he speaks of his "soul," meaning his whole inner being, his life: "My soul thirsts for you" (v. 1), "My soul will be satisfied" (v. 5), and "My soul clings to you" (v. 8).

In theory we all know that we should make God the object of our deepest desire. We know that we should stop wasting our energy chasing after things on earth so we have more energy left to thirst for heaven.

By God the soul is satisfied. There is no doubt about that. God is near, and he gives of himself without measure. Anyone who thirsts for some other good than God will someday grow "sick and tired" of it. But the more we have of God, the more we long for him; and the more we long for him, the more we possess him.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.