The View From The Desert

Continuing the theme of the desert, I am reading Psalm 63, which was written by David when he was in the desert of Judah. Read from the point of view of being in the desert, one gets a different perspective on this Psalm. I am just looking at the first six verses this morning.

Psalm 63:1-6 NIV
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. [2] I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. [3] Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. [4] I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. [5] I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. [6] On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.

First verse: He really was writing from a parched and dry land. This lack of water, this dryness reminded him of what he was missing, namely the presence of the Lord. Being in the Lord's presence, experiencing His touch refreshes more than any drink of water! Being in a place of lack, causes us to turn our hearts to what we need and be thankful for what we had previously. Its so easy go take the daily blessings, with which we are surrounded, for granted.

Second verse: In the desert there is a different type of power, that of oppressive heat, unrelenting sun, and lack of life. He is reminded of having been the opposite, and remembers again the life he has experienced in God. There is the shadow of God's wings, there is the banquet of God's blessing and there is the power of God's anointing. There is life in God!

Third and fourth verse: He is at a place where he is getting a good look at his life, and probably even wondering if he will survive, and I this place of thought and reflection He is seeing that which is truly important, God's love. There is nothing like hardship to help re-evaluate ones life and priorities. He sees this and sets the course for his life. He is committed to praising God, to living out the remainder of His life with a single focus, with an unchanging priority.

Fifth verse: He recognizes once again that the promises of God are true, that if He seeks God, if He turns to God, if He makes the Lord his shepherd, He will feast abundantly on God's presence. He is likely without sufficient food and water, but I that place of physical longing, his spiritual longing is even stronger. I think at this point he has remembered the promises of God, and has grabbed hold of them, for now he is not just remembering, but grabbing hold and claiming the promises.

Sixth verse: When he was living at home, he didn't have to keep watch in the night, so being awake at night might have been a new experience. Depending on the desert, the night could be the time where you can actually move about and travel because the heat is not so oppressive. There is much that goes on in the night, and being alert and awake can be a requirement. As one sits alone in the dark, our minds wander and reflect and his thoughts are drawn again and again to the Lord, probably in response to the Lord calling his name.

Desert places are designed to help us to refocus, to review our lives, and gain a new perspective on the blessings we already experience, and provide the opportunity to change. If we turn our eyes to the Lord, turn our mind and thoughts towards Him, we will gain understanding of His love for us, ad His awesome provision and blessing.