God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You.
I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
So I gaze on You in the sanctuary
to see Your strength and Your glory.
My lips will glorify You because
Your faithful love is better than life.
So I will praise You as long as I live;
at Your name, I will lift up my hands.
You satisfy me as with rich food;
my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.
Psalm 63:1-5 (HCSB)
Those of us who live in the high plains of north Texas can relate to King David, who wrote this psalm while he was in the desert wilderness of Judah. We know the satisfaction that comes from a tall glass of ice water on a hot day. As great as cool water is for physical thirst, David thirsts for God to satisfy his spiritual thirst, to satisfy his soul. Where do you turn to find satisfaction for your soul? When you find yourself in the dry wilderness situations of life, what do you do? This Psalm shows the path to find satisfaction, even satisfaction for your soul.
David begins his journey by seeking God in His sanctuary. David had experienced God in His power and glory in the tabernacle; now David is in a dry place spiritually. He longs to see his wilderness transformed into a sanctuary where God is honored and worshiped. We should follow David’s example and seek God through our dry times and say, “I want to seek God’s glory through this wilderness experience just as though I were worshiping God in a church service.” God wants to be found. He will satisfy your soul. No one else can.
David continues his journey by blessing God. He focuses his attention on the greatness and faithfulness of God rather than the wilderness. When we choose to trust God through the dry times of life He refreshes our souls. When we are in the wilderness, the choice is ours, focus on the dryness of the desert or on the faithfulness of God. Choosing God will lead to deep satisfaction. He writes, “Your faithful love is better than life.” Wow. How would your life be different if God’s faithful love was even more precious to you than life itself?
David arrives at satisfaction when he writes, “You satisfy me as with rich food.” Satisfaction doesn’t come from external circumstances. It comes directly from God as He blesses us on the inside. Wilderness experiences can benefit you. They teach you the important truth about the source of real satisfaction. Circumstances on the outside can never lead to true satisfaction. Only God’s work on the inside truly satisfies. When you find yourself in the wilderness, follow David’s example. God will meet your need and you will find satisfaction for your soul.
This article originally appeared in the Dalhart Texan and was written by Sean Vickers.