Going through the “Read-the-Bible-in-a-Year” reading plan allows me to glean little nuggets that I have passed over in the past. And I find that it is so fruitful to simply and prayerfully read without focusing on a specific subject other than getting to know God more. Reading His Word and sitting with Him allows us to grow closer and closer to Him.
One of the passages I just read was Psalm 63. It is such a beautiful depiction of yearning and longing for Him. David was in the desert on the run. Specifically, it says in the title, “A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.” This “wilderness” was the desert, an arid, desolate place. There were sparse little bushes dotted around the desert called Retama (also known as Rotem). It is a type of broom tree found natively there. Then there are, of course, rocks, sand, and wadis. A wadi is a valley, ravine, or watercourse that is usually dry except during the rainy season. There is very little shade and even less water sources.
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 wary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. (Psalm 63:1-4, ESV)
What I see in this, given where David is and what he is doing, is that David is physically tired, emotionally drained, and utterly thirsty. He looks around him, and he sees barrenness with no sustenance in sight. There are rocks and dry land as far as he can see. Have you been so drained that you feel like you can’t go on? All you want is to sit in the shade with something to drink and rest. I am sure most of us have been here. I have worked myself so much, and I neglected my body, soul, and spirit so much so that I felt empty. The only thing I could think of was, “when is it going to end?” I didn’t see any reprieve in sight.
This is where I see David on his knees crying out to God in this passage. He is seeking God’s direction, wisdom, and refreshment. He said, “earnestly I seek you.” He finally stopped running, and he sought the only One who could perfectly help him. And he saw this picture of this parched land as a picture of himself. “My soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” The picture of dried up and dusty comes to mind in this imagery. There is no surviving this land without water. The picture of water being the source of life in the desert. God is the source of life for us.
David remembers being in the sanctuary of God, beholding His “power and glory”. He remembers God’s “steadfast love”, and that it is “better than life.” God gives us faithful, unrelenting, continual love. He cares for us in a way that no one or nothing can. He is the very source of life. And He intimately cares for us. David was in a desert time in his life, and he had to stop, remember God, and be revived with God’s life-giving love.
When we are in our desert, or wilderness, running ourselves into the ground, running for our lives, the only way to survive is to stop running, remember God’s steadfast love, and cling to Him who sustains and loves us. He is the source of life, the universe, and everything. Follow David in this passage as he seeks God with his whole heart. He praises God and blesses Him. He recognizes that God’s steadfast love is better than life. When we find ourselves running on empty, working constantly to run from debt, lack, or whatever we run from, we need to remember the One who sustains. Praise God and bless His holy name. Let’s raise our hands in surrender to Him as He cares for us better than anyone or anything, including ourselves.
Gotta go fill up my cup…..
Coffee with Candee 