Spiritual Drought: Getting Through It
Today’s reading: Psalm 58:1-64:10
My selection: Psalm 63:1-4
1 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.
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;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My reflections: David seems to refer here to a period of spiritual dryness. His circumstances were difficult, assuming this may have been set in the time of his flight from King Saul when he was in the wilderness of Judah. [See the title of the Psalm]. Difficult and stressful circumstances can certainly rob one of time to pray and meditate on God’s word resulting in spiritual drought.
What does David do in response to this condition?
1. Recognizes his spiritual dryness. He is perceptive enough to know that this is not normal nor acceptable. He wants to bask in God’s presence every day. [Psalm 27:4]. That is not happening.
2. Calls out to God. He expresses his longing for God in prayer. James 4:8 says “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
3. He goes to the sanctuary and looks upon the Lord, beholding His power and glory. He does not avoid the place where God’s people come to worship Him. Rather he goes to the place God has designated for His people to worship and find reconciliation with Him.
4. He praises God and commits himself to doing that as long as He lives.
My challenge: If you are in a time of spiritual drought, be glad that you are able to detect that. Retrace David’s steps to be revived in heart and refreshed in soul.
Tomorrow’s reading: Psalm 65:1-68:35