Day 9, Year 1 Seeking God Amid Hardships

“<A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.> O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1 NKJV)

Adversities are inevitable in human life. David thirsted for God in a “dry and thirsty land.” “Thirst” is tsame’ in Hebrew, which means “to be thirty, suffer thirst.” Note that what David yearned for in the waterless land was not drinking water, but God Himself. Perhaps he still remembered that God miraculously provided water to the Israelites many times in the wilderness after the Exodus, so that they could drink to their fill. Many Israelites believed that God cared for them, and even performed miracles to solve all the problems related to survival. 

Similarly, in times of hardships, we could choose to be consumed by difficulties or to find merely the solutions, but we could also choose to seek God, just as David did. The verses we have read in the past few days might not address your current needs. Previous mentions of choosing life, leading a wonderful life as well as an eternal life, etc., might seem too distant to you. Meanwhile, you might face tremendous, life-changing challenges, decisions, or difficulties, and having room to think about faith is difficult. However, this verse reminds us not to overestimate or exaggerate our problems. After all, what would be more pressing than being in a wilderness without water? David thirsted for God in a life-threatening situation. His thirst for God amid hardship is a lesson that encourages most of us to find Him anywhere and in whatever situations.

In times of plenty, choose life. When we are dry and tired, we need to be even more spirited in choosing life and seek God and His help wholeheartedly. In times of difficulty, we should seek God and regard His presence as more important than all help. We need to overcome the influences of circumstances, including natural emotions such as worries and fears, so as to thirst for God in most situations and receive His help. So, it is not enough for us to know the Most High God, we must make sure that He truly becomes our own God. Then not only could He resolve your emotions like worries and fears, but He could also provide practical solutions to problems, making our lives more wonderful and abundant.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you find it easy to wholeheartedly yearn or thirst for God’s presence during difficult times? Why?

2) Are you prone to emotions like worry, fear, etc. in difficulties? If you have negative emotions, how would you want to rely on the Lord’s help to deal with them?