- I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah Psalm 143:5-6 – Sometimes in our times with God we just aren’t feeling that urge to lift our hands in worship of Him. Whether that be while in a sanctuary being led by a worship team or while in your room during your quiet time, sometimes we just aren’t feeling too worshipful. Here the psalmist resonates with that feeling but chooses to remember something to help. He remembers the days in the past and all God did for Him in those days. He dwells on the works that God has done in his story. What’s the outcome of this? His soul begins to thirst again for God and His hands stretch out to the Father longing for Him again. Maybe today we too need to meditate and ponder on the things God has done in our past. Allow all that to remind you of His goodness and what it feels like to be overflowing with that goodness. Allow it to create in you a new thirst for what God gives. When we hunger and thirst for God like this, it’s not so difficult to lift our hands to Him in our times with Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1507
- I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.6 I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Psalm 143:5-6 – Remember, meditate, ponder, stretch, thirsts. Truly the pastor in me is already seeing a sermon with five points ready to go! We see here in the psalm five different actions taken by our psalmist. He’s choosing to “remember” all the seasons past in his life, the blessed ones and the heavy ones. He chooses to “meditate” on all that the Lord had done, in his own story and even in the whole of creation up to that moment. He “ponders” on the ways the Lord had worked, how He created all things and sustained the psalmist in every time of need. Having all that in mind he “stretched” out his hands to the Lord once again for help and provision because he had seen within his own story how God takes care of His own. Finally, he proclaims that he “thirsts” for the Lord and for what the Lord can only do in situations like the one he is finding himself in right now. Remember, meditate, ponder, stretch, thirst. When then we are in our own season of difficulty, following the psalmist’s example is wise. Choose to remember the days of your past and meditate on all that God has done in your story up to this point. Ponder on all the ways that it was God’s hands at work that made it possible for you to be where you are today. Allow then that time, and what is birthed out of it, cause you to lift your hands in need of the Lord and choose to find the quenching of your thirst in God alone. The heartbeat of the message is in your time of need, turn to the Lord for help. Sometimes though this isn’t the inclination of your heart to stretch out to the Lord and thirst for Him. This outline laid out by the psalmist is helpful then to prepare our hearts to thirst for the Lord’s help when such a thirst isn’t where we are at today. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2274
Daily DEVO 