Do you think of God as "my God"? There are many wonderful books available that tell us about God. There are magazines and movies, marvelous teachers and preachers that point the way to God. We can have comforting experiences in church with the hymns, prayers, and creeds. All of those things may be good, but they won't replace the reality of your own personal encounter and revelation of God! There must come a time when you encounter God for yourself, when you come to know Him first-hand. When you’ve had an encounter like that, nothing else will truly satisfy you. Today, let’s listen in on David, the poet-king, as he wrote about one of his own encounters with God.

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. (Psalm 63:1-6)

In today's passage, David talks openly about his intimate personal relationship with God. Have you ever experienced that, ever encountered God in a way that you can never forget? If you have, there‘s nothing else—no other person—who will satisfy you. I’ve heard it said there is a “God-shaped hole” in each of us. We may try to fill that hole with other things—money, career, sex, friends, even our marriages—but only God can fill that gaping hole in each of us, a place that’s exclusively made for Him.

Today, take a few moments to meditate and then ask yourself: have I ever had an intimate, personal encounter with God? If you haven’t, today is a good day to seek Him. Get alone and get quiet, ask God to meet with you and then wait for Him to show up. If you’ve had that intimate personal encounter, how has it changed you? And more importantly, is it still changing you?