Verse of the Day 11/12

Verse of the Day 11/12

 

Psalm 63:1-3 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.
² I have seen you in your sanctuary
    and gazed upon your power and glory.
³ Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
    how I praise you!  New Living Translation

 

Today is a day of pouring rain in North Carolina and it hardly seems like a desert place like David recalled when he wrote this psalm.  We may not be in a desert, physically, however with the pandemic going on around us, those who have suffered days and weeks with fever from the virus understand where David is coming from.  You thirst, and you long for relief from the tempest raging inside of you.  In this time David steps back and uses it as a time to draw near to God, and as often is the case in the psalms; he ends up praising God in and through that desert place.  Even though the verses and passage don't directly mention the word "hope", it is what enables David to look beyond the circumstances and to praise God for His love that is "better than life itself."

I'm reading "Shelter in God" by David Jeremiah in which he quotes theologian Lewis Smedes on hope:  "A person who has the habit of hope also has the habit of remembering.  Hope needs memories the way a writer needs notes.  This is partly because hope depends so much on imagination.  Our images of the future are sweepings from our remembrances of things past.  If we expect to keep hope alive, we need to keep memory alive.  Happy memories of good things we hoped for are fulfilled, and grateful memories of bad things we survived."

Our son Jeff has said "hope is my favorite thing to have".  He has spent years in the desert of a TBI, but he holds onto hope and he praises God and loves to sing praise to Him for the love shown to Him.

I'm reminded of the Matt Redman song "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord", I think David would enjoy singing the song and would relate to it.

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name

When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out, I'll
Turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

 

Psalm 63 New King James Version (NKJV)

Joy in the Fellowship of God

A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

63 O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
² So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

³ Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
⁴ Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
⁵ My soul shall be satisfied as with ^[a]marrow and ^[b]fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

⁶ When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
⁷ Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
⁸ My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.