IN THE WILDERNESS

“O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me,” (Psalm 63:1-8, NASB).

When David was in the wilderness of Judah, he exclaimed, ““O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You,” (Psalm 63:1, NASB). The Lord seemed distant, and David longed for His presence. Then, in verse 2, he reminisced about times that he saw God’s glory in His sanctuary, when the Lord seemed more accessible. This contrast captures a common human predicament: We often don’t appreciate things going well until they’re gone. But in the wilderness, we quickly wither and recognize how urgently we yearn for the Lord. Many times, sadly, it’s not until we experience deep thirst that we’re able to taste the goodness of Jesus’ living water.

The trouble is that it might take years to realize we are in a wilderness. Then, because of our desperation, every new mud puddle glistens with glorious possibilities like a mirage, and we plunge in, convinced that we’ve finally found something fulfilling. But only the water Jesus gives truly quenches thirst and promises eternal life.

That’s why we must remain sensitive to our Savior’s guidance through the barren land. He promises, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you,” (Psalm 32:8, NASB). When we heed God’s call, we exclaim along with David, “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation,” (Psalm 62:1, NASB).

~ Jeff