This is part 3 of a 5-part series. View the entire series here.
O God, You are my God; I earnestly search for You. My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water. – Psalm 63:1 NLT
Prolonged seasons of uncertainty can lead us to feel like we’re walking through a desert. Unchanging scenery day after day, no sign of life anywhere we look, and little reason to hold onto hope.
David, when he wrote Psalm 63, was in a desert season of his own—both literally and metaphorically. While not known for certain, it’s widely believed among Bible scholars that David wrote this when he was on the run from King Saul in the wilderness of Judah.
David knew something about walking with the Lord that we would do well to remember: Our wilderness seasons should draw us closer to the Father. When we’re lost, unsure, confused, and afraid of what’s coming next, we should seek Him all the more passionately.
And not just seek His will—although that’s incredibly important, especially when we’re trying to figure out our next step—but seek Him. Psalm 9, another psalm of David, says, “Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for You” (9:10 NLT). The Bible promises that when we search for God with all our hearts, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). David knew, too, that God was not only to be found within the confines of the tabernacle. Even in the desert, even there, God was with him.
In seeking after God with no other motive than to know Him more deeply, we experience firsthand the richness of His mercy, His patience, His kindness, His love. We taste and see that He is good (Psalm 34:8). We find Him beautiful, worthy of all praise and honor. He is steadfast amidst the shifting sands of our lives. He remains even after everyone else has left us behind.
And when we seek Him and find Him, we find too that the vast expanse of desert on every side (or even where the next step on the path will take us) matters less than the fact that we’re walking it with Him. He knows where He’s taking you, and He’ll reveal it little by little as it becomes necessary for you to know. But all the while He’s picking you up when you fall, wiping the sand from your palms and the sweat from your brow.
He’s reminding you that you don’t need to strive to figure it all out on your own. You don’t need to make it happen for yourself; you just need to seek Him, trust His good plans, and follow His steady lead.
