Sunday 22 August, 2021

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. 1 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. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. 9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. 10 They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. 11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

This Psalm has a unique effect on me, it strips away the many layers of my life. I imagine all the things that I love in life being removed… the comforts of living in Australia, my good health, my friendships, my family, my sense of purpose and identity. It takes me to a parched land, barren, isolated and empty. The writer of this Psalm had found himself literally in an environment like this, forced there by an enemy bent on destroying him.

It seems bizarre then that a Psalm that has this effect on me, then creates in me one of the deepest senses of peace I have experienced. This peace comes from knowing that with all else taken away, God remains… and his love is better than life itself! I discover that the foundation I stand on is my God. I find a space that can be hidden by both the blessings and pains of life, the space of God’s sanctuary. His glory and power touch me afresh and they are overwhelming. I discover praise is my purpose and I have all I need in the presence of my loving God.

O my God, whether I have much or little, I always have you and you are what my heart most craves.

Written by Andrew Mellor