Desperation

Hands raised and reaching. Desperate. In one scene, starving people hoping to be handed a box of rice and beans, or a bottle of water. In the other scene, starving souls reaching to the heavens, hoping for a touch of God to quench their spiritual thirst.

Both are real needs. The first satisfies for a few hours. The second satisfies forever.

This is the air I breathe,
this is the air I breathe...
Your holy presence, living in me.
This is my daily bread,
this is my daily bread.
Your very Word spoken to me.
And I, I'm desperate for You.
And I, I'm lost without You.
(lyrics by MercyMe)

Lord, still my heart. Allow me to recognize my hunger and thirst for You, the Living Water. Don't let my heart be hardened by the pleasures and comforts of life. Less of me, more of You. Don't let me believe the lie that I don't need You. So many distractions in life, so much to tease my senses. Self-sufficiency deeply inbred in my American upbringing. Desperation sounds so negative, but when I look into the depths of my soul, that's what I am. Lost without You. Desperate for You. That's where I want to live, to stay, to remain. I reach up to You. Touch my fingertips, Jesus...just a touch will do.

“What is deprivation to the senses nourishes and strengthens faith. The less there is for the senses, the more there is for the soul.” Jean-Pierre de Caussade