Todays Scripture 63:1-8 (Full Scripture at the bottom)
O God, you are my God, 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. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
How do you view the desert. More importantly, what do you do during dry, weary, desert- type times? Do you stop and look for God? Do you see dry times as a sanctuary, a place to let you lips praise God? Some of us do our best to avoid dry and empty times. We try to fill weary places with things to take our mind off of the challenge of being alone, dry and empty. Are there mindless addictions to technology, food or substances that keep us from the sanctuary of the desert... to avoid the emptiness of it? David wrote some of his best psalms while banished, alone, dry, desperate and in the desert (see Psalm 63 below).
Tom Hanks said this about the desert- “The desert, when the sun comes up…I couldn’t tell where heaven stopped and the Earth began.” Desert places can be “thin places.” A thin place is where heaven is so close to earth, God’s presence is so tangible, you can’t tell where heaven stops and earth begins. Let your dry place become a thin place. Take time to meet God here. Try the 3 G Practice
Give up – time on your technology today…turn off your computer, cell phone, TV …
Give in – look for God… let heaven enter your soul
Give out – 30 minutes worshipping God…kneel, sing, write a psalm to God.
Psalm 63:1-8
1 O God, you are my God, 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.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
when I think of you on 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 sing for joy.
My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
Worship for the desert