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Encouragement from Psalm 68

  • Writer: Beth Mims
    Beth Mims
  • 3 days ago
  • 3 min read

  

There are times in this life when I am dry and thirsty – not for a Coke or water, but for God.

 

I just want to be close to Him. I long for His presence in this world.

 

When I opened my Bible to Psalm 68 this morning, I totally identified with David’s cry:

 

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is:” (Psalm 68:1, KJV)

 

This land is dry and there is no water in this world. Zip. Nada. Nothing that satisfies the soul.

 

When David wrote this Psalm, he was in the desert of Judah with his band of misfits (my description, but you can check it out in1Samuel 22:2) hiding from Saul. He had just completed another battle and scurried again to escape Saul’s wrath.

 

But here in this psalm he is crying out his praise to God. Check out verses three and four:

 

“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.” (Psalm 68:3 – 4, KJV).

 

Even though David’s position was precarious, his heart was fixed on God. He was trusting in God’s provision, in God’s help. He praised God with joyful lips (verse 5). In verse seven, he spoke of rejoicing in the shadow of God’s wings. In verse nine, he committed to following God for the long haul. David would not quit.

 

David was assured of victory. Simply by continuing to run the race, he knew that God would allow him to overcome. The enemy would fall by the wayside and be stopped.

 

Was his journey easy? No way. Did he have scars from the battles? You bet. Was God faithful through it all? Most definitely.

 

I can identify with David about being in a dry and thirsty world and longing for God’s presence. I also know the difficulties of facing enemies, although mine don’t look like Saul and his army. Mine more often resemble my own flesh, distortions of truth, and the creeping apathy that occurs from living in this world. Still, I know who my God is, and I long for His closeness.

 

Hebrews 12:1 encourages me to run with patience the race that is set before me, and I know that there are miles ahead, so I cannot, and I will not stop. I am trusting God as my help and rejoicing in the shadow of His wings. In His strength, in His strength alone, I will run hard, because His lovingkindness is better than life.

And by His grace, I will outrun the enemy all the way home.

 

Come run with me.


 

Dear Father, Your love is better than life, and I do praise You with all that I am. I praise You with joyful lips even though my feet often hurt as they travel through this parched land. I know that I can’t make this journey without You. Keep me close to You, Lord. Through the valleys and the deserts, always close to You. I know You walked many dusty roads on this Earth. Let me not forget that You walked those for me. In Jesus’ name.

 

 

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1 – 2, KJV).


 Think About It:

  1. What enemies are you facing today?

  2. How can you praise God in your situation?

  3. Are you following hard after Jesus?

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