“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.”
Psalm 63:1-2
These are the words of a man written while wandering in the wilderness of Judah. Which also meant that he was separated from the sanctuary, and longing to return to it. The circumstance of his life at this moment was not his fault, yet it was not desirable.
The sanctuary was a reference to the safety of the innermost part of the temple at Jerusalem where the Lord would meet with His people.
How often do we find ourselves in those ‘wilderness’ times in our lives when it seems as though life itself has turned against us? When it seems as though the promises of the good, and trouble-free life seems so far away, how do we see past the mountains of impossibilities that we face? The next six verses tell us how he responded.
Psalms 63:3-8 “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So, I will bless you as long as I live; in your name, I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”
In time, David did return to Jerusalem and to the sanctuary of the temple.