A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsted for thee, my flesh longed for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul follower hard after thee: thy right hand uphold me. But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes. But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that swear by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped. Psalms 63
When David wrote the words of Psalm 63, he was in the wilderness of Judah, his own 'back side of nowhere.' Yet notice his remarkable perspective: '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.' In that barren place, with enemies pursuing him and the comforts of the palace left behind, David discovered that separation from everything familiar actually drove him into deeper intimacy with God. This is the divine contradiction of the wilderness, what feels like abandonment is actually a sacred appointment. Your dry and parched land, your season of separation, is not punishment but positioning. Just as David 'beheld God's power and glory' in the sanctuary, you can encounter God's presence in profound ways precisely when you feel most removed from everything familiar. The back side of nowhere becomes holy ground when we recognize that God has not distanced Himself from us, He has distanced us from distractions so we might see Him more clearly.
Just Reminder:
Faithful Father, for those of us standing in our own wilderness today, transform our perspective. Help us see our separation not as abandonment but as Your divine positioning for greater purpose. Like David, may we thirst for You more than for comfort or familiarity. Reveal Your power and glory to us in these desert places, and teach us to praise You even in the dry and parched land. May our wilderness become our sanctuary. In Jesus' name, Amen."
When David wrote the words of Psalm 63, he was in the wilderness of Judah, his own 'back side of nowhere.' Yet notice his remarkable perspective: '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.' In that barren place, with enemies pursuing him and the comforts of the palace left behind, David discovered that separation from everything familiar actually drove him into deeper intimacy with God. This is the divine contradiction of the wilderness, what feels like abandonment is actually a sacred appointment. Your dry and parched land, your season of separation, is not punishment but positioning. Just as David 'beheld God's power and glory' in the sanctuary, you can encounter God's presence in profound ways precisely when you feel most removed from everything familiar. The back side of nowhere becomes holy ground when we recognize that God has not distanced Himself from us, He has distanced us from distractions so we might see Him more clearly.
Just Reminder:
Faithful Father, for those of us standing in our own wilderness today, transform our perspective. Help us see our separation not as abandonment but as Your divine positioning for greater purpose. Like David, may we thirst for You more than for comfort or familiarity. Reveal Your power and glory to us in these desert places, and teach us to praise You even in the dry and parched land. May our wilderness become our sanctuary. In Jesus' name, Amen."