O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.
PSALM 63:1
His weary legs would no longer hold his weight. Oh God! My God! He dropped to his knees and began crawling along the rocky path through the twisted canyons of the Judean wilderness. The sun beat down on his back as dust filled his nostrils. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. Water… must have water. But there was no sign of water. There was nothing ahead, nothing behind, no sign of life—just this dry, dusty, rocky path cutting through miles and miles of parched and weary desert land.
His entire body ached. Only God could rescue him. He leaned against a canyon wall seeking temporary reprieve from the sun. Must rest. Must save my strength. Once again, he surveyed his surroundings. There was nothing new. Nothing for miles except rocky wilderness. No life. Only dust and rocks. But God, You alone are life. I know Your power. I have basked in Your glory. And I need You now! You are better than life itself! He lifted his hands to the heavens, groping for Him, desperate to touch His face. I praise You, God! Nothing else matters anymore. All my possessions, my reputation, the pleasure of this world, I count as garbage! You are enough. You alone satisfy my deepest longings. You alone quench my thirst.
Time passed and darkness fell. He shivered in the cold desert air as he drifted in and out of sleep. Oh God, fill my mind! Capture my thoughts and emotions! You are my helper and I cling to You! I sing for joy! He heard something moving in the shadows. It moved closer. He opened his eyes and strained to see. It kept moving closer until he felt it surrounding him from all sides. Oh God, protect me under the shadow of Your wings! Hold me tight in Your strong right hand! Bring to ruin whatever is plotting to destroy me! Let my enemies be silenced; let them become food for the jackals! I praise You, Lord! (Psalm 63).
Psalm 63 captures how King David yearned for God in times of his deepest distress. For years, he ran for his life from King Saul and his army who relentlessly sought to kill him. The Judean wilderness was his hiding place (1 Samuel 23–24), an area extending from just north of Jerusalem to the southern tip of the Dead Sea. Its Hebrew name, Yeshimon, describes it perfectly. It means “devastation.” Like David’s mouth thirsted for water in this dark and weary land, so his soul thirsted for God. His entire body ached with a yearning that only God could fill. Although he may not have understood what God was doing in the life of His future king, this wilderness time awakened his senses and gave him deeper spiritual understanding of God and His nature. His values and priorities changed. Intimacy with God took precedence over all the pleasures of the world. Nothing else mattered. God completely captured David’s thoughts and emotions. He became his only source of satisfaction and fulfillment, the only One who could protect him and keep him safe. He was God and He was enough. The desert was his training ground for all that God had destined him to do.
You may be in the same desperate place as David. You know God’s Word. You know He wishes you well. You know He is good. But you don’t understand His ways. What you know of His nature and your current situation simply isn’t lining up. Just like David, your soul cries out from the wilderness, desperate for His presence, desperate to understand His heart and mind. Dear one, He hears you. Let Him capture your thoughts and emotions. Let Him rearrange your priorities. Let Him satisfy your thirsty soul. He is enough. He alone can satisfy more than any other blessing that comes from His hand. In Him, you will never be thirsty again.
Lord, my entire body aches for You in this parched and weary land. I know Your power. I have basked in Your glory. And I need You now! Lord, capture my thoughts and emotions! Protect me under the shadow of Your wings! Hold me tight in Your strong right hand! Bring to ruin this disease that is plotting to destroy me! Let my enemies be silenced. I praise You, Lord! You are my helper and I cling to You!
Lord, You are the only One who can save my life. You are life itself. No, You are better than life itself! I lift my hands to the heavens, Lord. I am desperate to touch Your face. I praise You, Lord! Nothing else matters. I count everything else as garbage! You are my everything, my all in all. You are enough. You alone satisfy my deepest longings. Lord, I want You even more than I want to be healed. You quench my thirsty soul.