“O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (NASB)

I was headed for a writers’ conference in northern Philadelphia last August, when I realized I had better start thinking about stopping for gas. I have a strange gas gauge in my car. It stays on full for a long time then starts a quick accelerating descent on its way to empty. There are probably twenty miles left between a quarter tank and empty. On this trip I had been very preoccupied with all of my conference preparations and hadn’t given much thought to the car. Now I was driving on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, “no man’s land,” and the gas warning light came on. Not a good situation.

Normally when I get gas, I am fussy about where I stop. My gas stations of choice are well-lit, clean, possess a dependable brand name, and let me pay by card at the pump. A nice place to buy a diet cola doesn’t hurt, either. But as I drove the lonely stretch of road, I began to feel desperate. Mile after mile passed without a sign of human life. I was in trouble. It was a hot day, the hottest it had been all year. I turned off the air conditioning to conserve fuel. Now I was sweating. And more nervous by the minute. Lord, please, a gas station, I prayed. Any gas station.



Soon the gas gauge was resting solidly on empty. Any minute now, and I would feel the motor down-shift and my car coast slowly to a halt. I would be stranded on a deserted road in the hot afternoon sun, which was baking the air to one hundred plus degrees. I didn’t even have a water bottle.

Suddenly a small sign appeared on the horizon. As I drew closer, I saw to my extreme relief that it sported a gas station icon. I took the exit. There was a sign pointing me in the right direction, or at least what I hoped was the right direction. I drove several long miles of deserted back road (by now in sheer terror) until I came to a tiny crossroads. Four houses, and . . . a gas station! Was it open? It was! I almost wept with relief. It looked like it could be called “Joe’s Gas Station and Storm Door Company,” but I didn’t care. I was so happy to see that pump.

I probably would have turned my nose up at that station in another circumstance. But clearly at that moment this little station was the best thing I had seen in a long time. Funny how our circumstances can totally dictate how we feel about things!

David, in fear for his life, spent years hiding in the desert from his enemies. While on the run, at some point he penned Psalm 63: “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” (NASB). You have to wonder if David would have been able to seek God with such intensity if he had been resting on pillows in the cool palace, surrounded by servants, food, and drink. The sparseness of his supplies, the fear of being killed, and the discomfort of forever sleeping on the ground in the elements wore on him. He was in need, so he sought the Lord.

Isn’t that true for us, too? How quickly we forget to seek God when things are going well. How easy it is to rely on our own strength! So I believe He allows things into my life that remind me I need Him. And I am helplessly drawn to the Throne of Grace, forced to acknowledge that I thought I was self-sufficient. And as I once again hand over the reins, I am right where I should be once more.

Dear Lord, Thank you for not letting me forget just how much I need You. I praise You for being so intimately involved in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Related Resources:

Dear Jesus by Sarah Young

Come Thirsty: No Heart Too Dry for His Touch by Max Lucado

Do You Know Him?

Application Steps:

As you pray today, ask the Lord to show you areas you have avoided His involvement. Commit those things to Him.

Reflections:

What circumstances in your life cause you to be on your knees?

Are there any areas in your life where have you become self-sufficient?

Power Verse:

Psalm 143:6,8, “I stretch out my hands to You, my soul longs for You, as a parched land. . . Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me to walk in the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift my soul.” (NASB)