If I gave you a writing assignment today, and asked each of you to write
me a description of your present situation, what would it be like? What
images would you give me of your life as it stands today? If you're not
sure what I mean, open your Bible and turn to Psalm 63 where we find David's
"writing assignment" already completed for us to look at.....
Psalm 63:1, "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..."
Do you see the picture David is painting here of his present situation
by the descriptive words he used? I sense an eagerness on his part to
spend time with God - the God he knows personally. Yes, David craves the
fellowship of His God. As a matter of fact, he craves it so much that
his desire drives him to devote the early morning hour to being with His
God! David considers those extra hours of sleep less profitable.... Do
we experience such cravings, ladies??
Do you know what else I sense as I read David's "writing assignment"?
I see how his whole being yearns for his God in that he penned the words,
"my flesh longeth for thee". The Lord is what David finds all his satisfaction
in. Is that also true of us, I wonder? What does your soul and your flesh
desire most of all? David's words "thirsteth" and "longeth" are very picturesque
in describing one's feelings for God. Consider for a moment what words
you would choose to describe your feelings for God if asked to complete
a "writing assignment". What do you think it is that makes a person long
for God, ladies? Perhaps as we consider the next few words of verse one
that David chooses to use to present us an image of his present situation
we can discern the answer:
"....in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is."
It sounds to me that David feels isolated, almost as if in a desert alone.
Does your present situation feel like that? Have you ever felt like that
in the past - like you are experiencing a spiritual drought, like you
are all alone and nobody else could possibly understand how you are feeling?
When you began your quiet time with the Lord, did you cry out, "O God...."?
Did you continue on with, "Thou art my God..."? The reason I ask is because
these words picture David's total dependency upon the Lord in the midst
of a situation that was causing him to feel isolated from the rest of
the world, friends, and family. However, in spite of the state of his
affairs, David knew that the Lord would understand and bring complete
satisfaction to his soul.
Psalm 17:15, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall
be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."
When you picture someone in need of water, you picture a person who is
becoming faint, desperate for the satisfaction of a cool drink... Ladies,
when the trials of life cause us to feel this way, you and I need to seek
the Lord's face as desperately as David did, amen? This world is a dry
and thirsty land and should prompt us as Christians to literally long
for our God, it should not be the place we go to for our soul's satisfaction!
Now that we have been presented with an image of the condition of David's
soul in light of verse one, let's move down to verse two where we are
able to sense his soul's desire... By the way, what is your soul's desire?
"To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary."
So dear lady, could you choose these very same words in describing your
soul's desire? At this point in time, David was on the run, fleeing from
his wicked son Absalom. We can liken our lives to this with the fact that
we are on the run all the time too, aren't we? Life is very hectic and
sometimes our list of daily responsibilities can leave us feeling just
as overwhelmed. David was not safely able to visit the sanctuary during
this particular time in his life, yet rather than being consumed with
his current troubles, what he reflected on and remembered most was the
power and glory of God that he had seen in times past. He wanted to keep
ever before his eyes that precious glimpse of the Lord he got while in
the house of God. David wanted his Father's image to remain and be carried
over into his daily life. He wanted God's power and glory present with
him all the time! What a healthy desire of his heart, amen?
If we're honest with ourselves today, the desires of our hearts aren't
as healthy as David's were. We go to church and get a glimpse of the glory
and power of God while our Bible is open and the Word is preached, but
then we close them and leave God in the sanctuary and never bring Him
home with us! It seems as if some people desire to see the sanctuary of
God more than they desire to see the God of the sanctuary! We are guilty
of being on the run all week without God, and yet, David wanted to be
aware of the presence, power and glory of the Lord ALL the time! Do you
really long for the Lord??
Psalm 107:9, "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry
soul with goodness."
Isaiah 58:11, "And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy
thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a
watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not."
The Bible is full of picturesque words that give you clear images and
here we see what finding satisfaction in the Lord is like for our soul.
Would you in your "writing assignment" be able to describe yourself in
your present situation as a "watered garden", a "spring of water", whose
"waters fail not"? If not, why not? Do you care to do anything about it??
Perhaps you need to begin your days as David did, "O God, thou art my
God, early will I seek thee...." Down in verse five of Psalm 63 David
says, "My soul shall be satisfied..." A little further down in verse 8
he says, "My soul followeth hard after thee..." The two go hand in hand.
David followed hard after God; stuck to Him like super-glue! Do we follow
after God in such a way? If we did, the Bible says our souls would be
satisfied continually! Is that your reputation, dear lady? Are you known
as a person who is hard to please, never satisfied with things, or are
you content with His likeness alone? Have you been looking to the Lord
for your satisfaction, or somewhere else? What have you been trying to
quench your "thirst" with?
In closing, why not take some time out, get a pen and some paper and begin
your writing "assignments" and see for yourself the condition of your
soul today. What picture could you leave folks with in describing your
present condition?
Would you enjoy the words you would have to choose to convey the truth
to us in regard to your relationship with the Lord? What is the image
of your life as a child of God as it stands today? Are you able to join
David in singing a song of satisfaction? If not, what changes do you need
to make to personalize this portion of scripture...
"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; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary."
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
