Words of Hope Daily Devotional
START EVERY DAY WITH HOPE
Get the Words of Hope Devotional and get daily encouragement to love God, read His Word, and meet with Him in prayer. Available in print and email.
START EVERY DAY WITH HOPE
Get the Words of Hope Devotional and get daily encouragement to love God, read His Word, and meet with Him in prayer. Available in print and email.
THE DEVOTIONAL IS AVAILABLE IN YOUR EMAIL AND IN PRINT.
The Words of Hope Devotional is a non-profit, donor-supported publication whose goal is to encourage readers to grow in faith through the practice of daily Bible reading and prayer.
DINNER WITH JESUS
Breakfast on the Beach
He Sustains Us
Read: Psalm 63
My soul will be satisfied. (v. 5)
Imagine being lost in a desert—the last drops of water in your flask ran out three days ago and you’re beyond exhaustion, certain if you don’t find water soon, you’ll die. There are times when spiritually, we feel like we are in that desert—unable to find the life-giving springs of water that come from God’s presence. Many of us find ourselves in circumstances like this at some point, and when we suffer or are disheartened, it’s easy to push God away, to blame him, to become frustrated with him. But there is a different response. Our trials can lead us to God.
Like David in Psalm 63, we truly long for God’s presence, praise, joy, and fellowship (vv. 1-8). The desert is where God urges us to draw nearer to him and to hear his voice more clearly, and when we huddle close (v. 7) and open our ears, he becomes the living water quenching our thirst. In fact, when we seek God with determination, the desert can be one of the greatest adventures in gaining wisdom, strength, and maturity. The quietness of the desert allows us to get to know him better, with more depth and fulfillment—to be satisfied by him alone (vv. 5-7).
Even in the desert, God sees us and sustains us. When we seek God in our trials, we renew our faith. God doesn’t enjoy our pain—he delights in our tighter embrace (v. 8). The Lord knows the way through the desert. We only need to take his hand.
As you pray, ask how you can be thankful for your thirst.
About the Author
Ariana D. Den Bleyker is a Pittsburgh native currently residing in New York’s Hudson Valley. She is the author of two devotional poetry collections,To Be Held by the LightandWaking in the Light. She is an ordained deacon in the Reformed Church of America.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rev. First Last
David Bast is a writer and pastor who served for 23 years as the President and Broadcast Minister for Words of Hope. In his more than 40 years of devotional writing and preaching, he has been encouraging believers around the world to be shaped by God and his Word.
Prior to his ministry and work at Words of Hope, Dave served as a pastor for 18 years in congregations in the Reformed Church in America. A graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, he is the author of nine devotional books and Bible studies, including Why Doesn’t God Act More Like God, Christ in the Psalms, and A Gospel for the World.
Dave and his wife, Betty Jo, have four children and eight grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, growing tomatoes, and avidly follows the Detroit Tigers.
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