Becky Austin

In A Dry And Thirsty Land

4:00 PM




Our Reading: Psalm 63, also Proverbs 20:28 & John 10:30


Today, I want to talk about a spiritual checkup.  Just like we take time to go to the doctor to get an assessment of our physical well-being and determine areas that need attending to, we also need to do spiritual checkups and make sure our spiritual well being is healthy. The number one question to ask yourself is: Who or what is at the top of my life priority list right now? Where do I put my time, my efforts, my thoughts, my energy? What or whom do I pursue? If God is not your top answer then perhaps you have become spiritually complacent. This is not a healthy place to be. “Complacency is the deadly enemy of spiritual progress. The contented soul is the stagnant soul.”- Aiden Wilson Tozer


We must not be content to just stay where we are spiritually. I remember many years ago, my husband and I were working with a Christian counselor on our marriage relationship. Our marriage had been in such failure that divorce papers had actually been drawn up. He asked how things had been going for the past few weeks and I said “ok. Not really any worse but not really much better. Just ok”. I thought that was a good sign, but he told me that “if a relationship is not growing and thriving and moving forward, then it essentially is dying and it’s just a matter of time before it withers away”. That got my attention and changed how I attended to and assessed the health of my marriage. It also changed my view on my spiritual relationship with God. My relationships can not grow if they stay the same. It’s about pursuing connection and understanding. 


In Psalm 63, David gives us an example of why he had such a strong spiritual walk with the Lord. He pursued this relationship with passion and definitely made God number one at the top of his priority list. He was not content to be complacent. 

“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.”  Psalm‬ ‭63‬:‭1‬ ‭


Is that how you seek God? Is He the very essence of your survival? In a desert land without water, what good would any material possession be if you couldn’t quench your thirst? How much help could friends or family provide if they had no water to offer? You might survive a few days without water but death would certainly be inevitable. Spiritually we are in a desert of death without God’s living water to quench our thirst. 


Fortunately, God seeks to meet our need in the spiritual deserts and wilderness. He wants to be our caregiver and to have us rely on Him for our every need.

“"He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭10‬ ‭


God has always wanted to help us and provided deliverance for us. He knows our needs and He is the only One who offers us hope.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭19‬ ‭


He wants to strengthen us and He wants us to be spiritually thriving and effective. It’s about being in a relationship where He guides and teaches us. It’s a growing relationship, not a stagnant one. 

“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭11‬ ‭


He is looking for those who are thirsty and seeking Him. Is that you?

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬ ‭


“And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.”  Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭6‬ ‭


Reflection:

As you read Psalm 63, what stands out to you as keys to David’s passionate pursuit of God? 


Reflect upon the following hymn and search your heart to see if this is your true desire as well. For today, may this also serve as our closing prayer.


As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship Thee

You’re my Friend and You are my Brother
Even though You are a King
I love You more than any other
So much more than anything


I want You more than gold or silver
Only You can satisfy
You alone are the real joy-giver
And the apple of my eye.


Chorus:

You alone are my Strength, my Shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship Thee.


As The Deer Panteth for the Water Martin Nystrom, 1984

Becky Austin

The Earnest Seeker (Psalm 63)

12:30 PM





Humans are always seeking. We seek many things: comfort, nurture, knowledge, entertainment, adventure, possessions, recognition, security, power, and romance to name a few. But, no matter how many of the things we seek are found, our hearts will always be seeking the only thing that can truly satisfy our deepest longing. If we are fortunate, we will realize that ultimately we seek to know and be known by the One who created us and breathed His living breath into us. How blessed we are if we know a time when we earnestly seek God.

David was a man who ruled his people as King. He knew fame, fortune, recognition, and power. But, He also knew that the source of his strength and sustenance was not in earthly gain or status. He knew those things could change like the shifting sand. In fact, when he created this Psalm he was back in the wilderness. This was a place he knew well. He had lived in hiding and wastelands when Saul sought his life and now he was back in the wilderness because of the rebellion of his son Absolom. But, here, in this seemingly barren place, David was not alone. 

“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.”(v1)
Notice that David says “you are my God”. This is something that every Christian can claim. God is always with us, never leaving us alone and He wants to be intimately connected to us. Even in the wastelands of our most dire circumstances, His resources are always there for us. 

How did David come to seek and appreciate what God offered?
“So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.”(v 2)
David knew the value of God’s holiness. He didn’t have himself on the throne of his heart. He knew that only God belonged there. 

“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,” (v 3-5)
David valued God’s unconditional love and he knew how to offer praise. Through worship of God, he kept his focus from the world and self to a bigger, more eternal view. 

“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.” (v6-7) David reflected upon and valued all the times that God had been faithful to help him in the past. Because of that, he trusted God’s provision for his future. 

David, a great king of his day, was a bold and earnest seeker of God. I imagine that if he could pass on to future generations the most powerful words of advice he could offer, he would encourage others to seek God. Through all the ups and downs, the joys and the sorrows, David had learned to seek God and David had found Him. For that, He was grateful!  “My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” (v 8)

God is worth seeking. If we earnestly seek Him, He promises we will find Him. No matter how barren or lonely our circumstantial wilderness may be, He promises to always be with us, sustaining and providing our deepest need.