Desert Survivor
Today’s Verse:
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; ~Psalm 63:1
One of the more inspiring books I read in recent years was Unbroken. It is the biography of a man named Louis Zamperini who survived the crash of his bomber aircraft and the brutality of being a prisoner of war in a Japanese prison. A survivor is someone who makes it through a difficult and, perhaps, harrowing experience. In Psalm 63, we see another survivor who lived to tell how he made it while in a dry and thirsty land: David.
We see David’s desert.
David described the place he was in as a “dry and thirsty land.” This psalm may have been written during the Absalom and Ahithophel revolt. Ahithophel said many lies about David and wanted him dead. To escape, David was in a wilderness area of Judah, wandering where there was little to no water. When we go through a desert experience, our soul experiences dryness and thirstiness, even to the place where we feel like we will “die of thirst.” The intense heat of the desert and scarcity of water of this experience makes us realize how much we are missing in our spiritual life.
We see David’s desire.
David thirsted for the Lord. Jesus is the Water of life. He is the only One Who can satisfy the thirsty soul. Specifically, David thirsted for the Lord’s power. He thought about the days of his miraculous conquests, where God gave him impossible victories. He longed for those days once again. He longed for the Lord’s glory. He brought the ark of God to Jerusalem and longed for the days of the Feasts of Passover, the Tabernacle, and Weeks. He longed to see God’s glory in the sanctuary, where He met with His people.
We see David’s deliberation.
David spent many nights in the desert meditating on the Lord. There were entire evenings where he could not sleep because his mind was fixed on the Lord. Meditation upon the Lord and His Word may be one of the spiritual disciplines most lacking in the life of most believers. We are so busy with life and its responsibilities that it is not until God places us in a desert place that we make the time to think deeply about the Lord and His love for us.
We see David’s delight.
David said that his soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and with fatness. Marrow and fatness speak of the best that is presented at a feast or a banquet. God gives us His best. David decided that he wanted the best that God gave him. Marrow and fatness speak of the riches in glory we have in Christ Jesus. When we realize that we have the best of God’s blessings, we praise the Lord with joyful lips.
We see David’s deliverance.
In the final verses of Psalm 63, he testifies of God’s protection and the fall of his enemies. He knew that God would deal with his enemies for him. He knew that God would stop his enemies from their lies. With a great exuberance, David declared his faith relationship with God by declaring, “Thou art my God.” In spite of being in a desert, he could rejoice in the Lord.
David concluded the psalm by stating that his soul followed the Lord with utmost devotion and determination. There is a chorus that says, “My Lord knows the way through the wilderness; all I have to do is follow.” That’s how we can survive a desert trial: keep following.
Have a steadfast God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Job 24-28