Lenten Reader | Day 18

March 28th, 2022

A Dry & Parched Land

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched 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.
I will be fully 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.
I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.

- Psalm 63:1-8

Are you in a dry, desolate wilderness like David? Or maybe your wilderness isn’t physical in nature, but emotional or mental? Or perhaps it is a spiritual drought you’re in? Do you feel isolated, weak, or completely exhausted? Maybe you are simply hungry for the kind of “food” that feeds the soul. I think we are all here quite often in this crazy, pandemic world we are faced with these days. If this is you in any way, come to the Father. Come to the God whom David cried out to for protection and satisfaction. Come find true rest and nourishment for your weary soul. He offers salvation for our souls and rest from our endless strife and anxiety. Our Heavenly Father is good, faithful, and loving.

This psalm reminds us of our need for God. And if we’re honest, we are like David in a lot of ways. We are painfully aware of our flaws and failures. And yet despite our shortcomings, the Lord offers us hope and help. The hope He offers is in his own faithfulness and the Messiah’s atoning sacrifice. Jesus is our hope in this dark, chaotic world. He is our light in the darkness, our source of strength when we feel weak and thirsty in the wildernesses of life.

David was a man who knew where to turn when life was rough. Like him, we should meditate on the Lord and let God’s truth overcome the darkness and our fear. God’s perfect love casts out fear. The Lord will sustain you during your dark nights and dreadful days as He did David in the wilderness. Also, we take joy in these trials, knowing that they are not meaningless, but instead they conform us to the image of Christ, our blessed Savior! What a glorious hope we have in our hardship! Seek His face and rejoice!

- Alyssa Hall

Prayer
Father, I need you. In the midst of trial, I need you. Be my help and my sanctuary. Help me, like David, to turn you when life is difficult.