Psalm 63:1 (ESV)
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts
for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and
weary land where there is no water.
In the Antarctic summer of 1908-1909, Sir Ernest
Shackleton and three companions attempted to travel to the South Pole from
their winter quarters. They set off with four ponies to help carry the load.
Weeks later, their ponies dead, rations all but exhausted, they turned back
toward their base, their goal not accomplished. Altogether, they trekked 127
days. On the return journey, as Shackleton records in The Heart of the
Antarctic, the time was spent talking about food -- elaborate feasts, gourmet
delights, and scrumptious menus. As they staggered along, suffering from
dysentery, not knowing whether they would survive, every waking hour was
occupied with thoughts of eating. Jesus, who also knew the ravages of food
deprivation, said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness." We can understand Shackleton's obsession with food, and it
offers a glimpse of the passion Jesus intends for our quest for righteousness.
Dear Lord, help us to have a passion for the things of
You. Help us be faithful as we seek the things You have for each of us. In the
Name of Jesus, Amen.
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