Caffeinated Crunchy Christian Moms

Read: Psalms 42-44

These Psalms were written by David, and in many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 are actually joined together as one. I can see that because of the repetition. This also marks the beginning of Book Two of the Psalms, as they’re divided into five sections or five books.

In Psalm 42 we read:

“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” -Psalm 42:2

We as humans need water to survive. Our bodies tell us when we’re thirsty so that we drink and stay alive. And if we don’t? We feel it. Dry skin, chapped lips, that sluggish, worn-down feeling. Dehydration is real!

The same goes for our faith. We can be spiritually dehydrated, trying to function without actually filling ourselves up with the presence of God. Not drinking from Him. Not sitting with Him. Not letting the Holy Spirit refresh us. We can go without a lot of things in this life, but we cannot truly live without God. He is the living water our souls are craving, whether we recognize it or not.

“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” … “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”” -John 4:10-14

“… Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’” -John 7:37-38

Written by David when he was in the desert of Judah:

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” -Psalm 63:1

And I love how Psalms 42 and 43 keep bringing us back to this:

“Put your hope in God …” -Psalm 42:5

“Put your hope in God …” -Psalm 43:5

It’s repeated again because we have to be reminded time after time. Put your hope in God! Not in circumstances, people, a job, physical items, etcetera. In Him.

God is reliable. He is steady and trustworthy. There are no trust issues here. He has never given us a reason not to trust Him, and He never will. We see it not only through Jesus, but through every fulfilled promise, every prophecy, every moment in Scripture where He proves His word stands true. We can stand firm on that.

“… God my Rock …” -Psalm 42:9

That “Rock” is capitalized for a reason. He is our firm foundation; our steady place when everything else feels shaky.

“For you are God, my stronghold.” -Psalm 43:2

Our protection and safe place.

Psalm 44 shifts a little and reminds us that we’ve heard of God’s goodness, not just in our own lives, but from those who came before us.

“We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days…” -Psalm 44:1

It wasn’t by human strength or ability. It was by God’s hand. Even thinking about David; yes, he defeated Goliath, but not because of anything in himself. It was God. It was always God. David knew this and was proud to proclaim this. He did not try to use God’s glory as his own.

“Would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?” -Psalm 44:21

God knows. He sees everything. Not just what we show on the outside, but what’s going on within us. Our thoughts, our motives, our struggles, our desires. It all matters to Him. It matters that we’re not just going through the motions, looking like we have it all together on the outside while our hearts are somewhere else. Because that kind of life is truly empty.

It’s like in marriage. You can say all the right things, post all the happy moments on socials, show up and look the part. But if your heart isn’t in it, if there’s resentment, wandering thoughts, or even unfaithfulness beneath the surface, it’s not healthy. And more than likely, it won’t last.

We need a lasting relationship with God. God already sees what’s underneath. He knows where we’re struggling. He knows where our hearts drift. Yes, we are going to fall short. But we are still called to turn back to Him. We are called to realign our hearts, the hearts that already belong to Him. We are called to pursue Him, not just perform for Him or go through the motions. Otherwise, we’re only cheating ourselves.

God isn’t asking for perfection. He’s asking for honesty and surrender. For a heart that keeps coming back, even when it wanders. Maybe today that looks like recognizing where you feel spiritually thirsty and choosing to come back to the only One who can truly satisfy and quench that thirst.

Discussion Questions

1. Where do you feel spiritually “dehydrated” or “thirsty” right now? What would it look like to intentionally seek God in that?
2. Is there an area of your heart that doesn’t match what you show on the outside? What would it look like to bring that honestly before God?

Connect with the Author

LinkTree

A Note from the Author