A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; early will I seek You. My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1)
It should be noted that the wilderness of Judah, one of the most barren areas in all of Israel, is not only hot and dry but also highly saline. On the eastern border of this wilderness lies the Dead Sea, known for its high concentration of salt which renders the surrounding area particularly arid and desolate. So can you imagine how this would affect those, like David, unfortunate enough to be trapped by their circumstances in an area whose air is literally saturated with salt? In other words, not only was the ground parched but so were their throats. Their thirst was exacerbated by the fact they were breathing air laden with something that increases thirst immensely.
The suffering that accompanies thirst far outweighs the pangs of hunger; along with air, the need for water is the most urgent. David not only lacked water in this desert but, as noted, grew even more thirsty with every breath he took. Yet for all of this, he never mentions a thirst for water; his thoughts and desires were completely focused on a yearning for God. His thirst in the wilderness was entirely spiritual and could only be quenched by closeness with God. And so again we see that David is able to compose psalms of praise and devotion to God even in the harshest of conditions. In an environment when most would have been preoccupied with a need for water, David thought only of God.
Now imagine yourself in this situation: what would you have done? Would you have spent your time and energy searching for water or would you have paused and composed a song of praise? Now compare that to what our energies are focused on when we aren’t thirsty or hungry. It is my opinion that, by and large, when all is well most people are not inclined to seek God. When our bellies are full and our wallets are fat, it is too easy to forget about One who provided all of our needs, and in some cases, even our wants. It is unfortunate but true; prosperity breeds apathy.
This is why it is so important to connect with what David conveys to us in the psalm; even the most basic and essential necessities of life should take a back seat to what is really most important in life — an intimate relationship with the Giver of Life. Nothing in this world should supplant His sovereignty in our lives, and so let us proclaim, sincerely and unabashedly, “O God, You are my God!”
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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