The Desert
There are two possible backdrops for today's reading:The first is in the life of a young David who'd been anointed as King by Samuel, but the current king, Saul, was trying to kill him. David and his rag-tag bunch of soldiers were scrambling across the desert barely keeping ahead of Saul and his lynching posse.
The second possible backdrop comes from the time of Absalom's rebellion which caused his father David to flee into the wilderness.
Either way, I can only imagine that David was struggling with his circumstances and the sense of helplessness he was feeling. I think the emotions he has are very similar to what many of us feel in this lockdown period...
His prayer reflects the desperation of his circumstances - I call it his hunger and famine. Look at the verbs that describe his hunger: "Earnestly I seek You", "My soul thirsts for you", "My body longs for you..." Then he describes his famine: "A dry and weary land where there is no water". (The phrase "where there is no water" is technically superfluous, but communicates the desolation he feels so clearly.)
It's such a powerful picture:
David is hungry but he finds himself in famine.
Maybe we are too.
So what do we do?
1.Remind yourself of God's Greatness
David has a moment that he clings to. A memory of worship in the sanctuary (probably the tabernacle at Shiloh) where he experienced the presence of God in a profound way. This moment is lodged in his soul and fills him with love for God in a way that sustains him in the desert.
Think back to a time where your heart was close to God. Dwell in those moments and re-kindle your "first love" (Rev2:4-5). Read your Bible, take time in prayer, listen to worship music and spend quiet time in your garden. Use the "slow time" of lockdown to "still and quiet your soul." (Ps131)
2.When you struggle - reach out in faith
But David also had to face "the dark night of the soul." His bed was probably a camping mattress in desert and he was probably waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning with thoughts racing and nerves jangling about a surprise attack from his enemies... But there he chose to remember God and the think about Him in the watches of the night. He makes a decision to cling to God and to sing in the "shadow of God's wings".
The famous preacher Louis Giglio describes a time in his life that he suffered from burnout and was having anxiety attacks that landed him up in hospital emergency rooms more than once. His toughest times were at 2-3 in the morning and over a period of time he learned to "sing in the shadow of God's wings." You can watch a clip about Louis' experience at www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HMACScjbKIAre you hungry in a the desert?
Do you need solid ground in a time of lockdown?
David would remind us that God will
"keep us in the shadow of His wings"
and
"uphold us with His right hand."
| O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. (Psalms63:1-8) |
