Thirsting For God During Isolation of Illness

My apologies to Sandy for this accidentally not getting published on the day I had specified.

Isolation from those we love, even if it just dinner out, can leave us with desire to connect. But when you are thirsting for God, He will always provide. Sandra shares. . .

“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.” (Psalm 63:1-2)

David wrote this lament while he was a fugitive in the Desert of Judah. He was away from the sanctuary in Jerusalem and desired anew the reality of God’s presence that he had known in the past.

He claimed God as his God first and foremost, and fellowship with God was the desire of his entire being.

“Earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirst for you,
my body longs for you
in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

From the depths of his soul he cried out this prayer! There are times we can identify with David and his great thirst. As children of God we are born with a God-shaped vacuum in our hearts. We thirst to love and be loved.

The only way to fill this void is through God’s living water. Jesus said, in John 7:37-38, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the scriptures has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

Our chronic illness can be a desert for us. We get tired and often lonely. Being sick, or housebound, we miss the friendship and fellowship of other believers, and the joy of being in church. When we are alone like this, we can easily come to the conclusion that we are in a dry and weary land where there is no water. But God is with us always! We don’t need to thirst!

We can remember what God has done for us in the past, and experience His power and glory now. No matter if we are housebound, sick, or in pain; He can quench our thirst, fill our hearts, and fill us with His living water.

Prayer: Father, my heart is dry. My body hurts. I am lonely and alone. I thirst for You, more of You, I long for You. I want to be filled again with Your living water. Amen.

About the Author:
Sandra has been on the writing team at Rest Ministries for many years and is thankful for the fellowships and friendships she has made. She is the wife of a minister, and the Mother of two adult kids. She has had Fibromyalgia for 22 years, and many other chronic pain conditions added through the years. She enjoys baking, cross stitching, and being outdoors.

Take some time and recount the many ways you have beheld God’s power and His glory in the past. Share any of those memories of God working in your life in the comment section. When you are thirsting for God, where do you turn? Remember, we can refill your heart with His living water anytime you cry out to Him.

If you are thirsting for God (or just plain worn out!) this song is sure to bring you comfort.