“Come Fill This Place”: Psalm 63, by CountrySlicker

O God, You [are] my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1)
I sat in the lawn chair on the football field at the local middle school on Friday evening watching the fireworks while patriotic music, such as the Star Spangled Banner, played on the speakers in front of the stage.  Well, it was actually a fifth wheel equipment trailer.  But on Friday night it was being used as a stage.  The middle school is located out in the country.  It was about a 30 minute drive from my house on two lane winding roads.  There were maybe a couple hundred people there.  It was a “small town America” setting.  Events are being held on three different nights in three different towns over the Independence Day weekend.  This was the first one.
A bluegrass band had taken the stage just as we arrived a few hours earlier.  One of the members of the band was the local sheriff.  They were surprisingly good.  After about an hour of music and good local dialogue, a local worship band took the stage as the last band of the evening.  They played worship songs, mostly contemporary Christian songs, for about an hour.  Afterwards… the fireworks.
As the fireworks exploded in the air over the field, my mind kept repeating one of the songs that the worship band had sang.  The song was “Holy Spirit Come Fill This Place”.  Here are the lyrics.

Holy Spirit come and fill this place

bring us healing with your warm embrace

Show Your power make your presence known

Holy Spirit come fill this place

Holy Spirit come fill this place

My heart is longing just to hear from you

My soul is waiting to know someone who

Can take us higher help us make it through

So will you please come and set us free

Holy Spirit come and fill this place

bring us healing with your warm embrace

Show Your power make your presence known

Holy Spirit come fill this place

Breath of God we need a touch from you

shine down on us with the light of truth

Stir our hearts and, set our spirit free

Holy spirit come fill this place

Holy Spirit come fill this place

Our hearts are hungry for your perfect peace

Our souls are thirsty for the joy you bring

So send your glory makes Your praise complete

Send down the rain, touch us once again

Holy Spirit come and fill this place

bring us healing with your warm embrace

Show Your power make your presence known

Holy Spirit come fill this place

Breath of God we need a touch from you

shine down on us with the light of truth

Stir our hearts and, set our spirit free

Holy spirit come fill this place

Holy Spirit come fill this place

Holy Spirit come fill this place

Come fill this place

As I sat watching the fireworks with the song lyrics “Holy Spirit come and fill this place” replaying over and over in my mind, I recalled the words of Benjamin Franklin: “In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered… do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?”  [Constitutional Convention, Thursday June 28, 1787] The question that Benjamin Franklin presented to the men at the Constitutional Convention is just as applicable today as it was then.  Do we imagine we no longer need His assistance today?
The danger is great today in our nation.  We need His assistance.  We need His Spirit.  We need Him to fill this place!
O God, You [are] my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1)
Heavenly Father, come fill this place with your Holy Spirit.  Heavenly Father, come fill this nation with your Holy Spirit.  Heavenly Father, come fill your churches with your Holy Spirit.  Heavenly Father, come fill me with your Holy Spirit.
God Bless,
CountrySlicker