Praise and Satisfaction in the Wilderness
Paula Miles, Guest Writer
TODAY’S TREASURE
“I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you” (Psalm 63:4-5).
Yesterday we were reminded that the dryness and weariness of our wilderness creates a thirst in us that draws us to the Living Water, Jesus, who is the only One who can quench our thirst. In the wilderness, our bodies long for Him because we feel the discomfort, pain, and sorrow of living in a broken world where our expectations and experiences don’t meet. David knows this as he is far away from the comforts and securities of the palace. He remembers the power and glory the Lord revealed to him in the sanctuary and recognizes that it is not bound to a particular place but can be experienced right where David is because the Lord is with him, a promise He will surely keep. Because life as David knows it has been stripped from him, he can confidently and honestly say, “Your love is better than life.” His steadfast love is all David has, and, day by day, he is learning it is enough. “My soul is satisfied to know His love can never fail.” (His Love Can Never Fail, Indelible Grace)
David elaborates on this idea of satisfaction in verse 5 when he says, “my soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods.” A satisfaction he experiences as somehow, he is able to praise the Lord, lifting his hands and singing, in the midst of less than ideal circumstances. In intimate communion with God, David experiences spiritual contentment and fullness. In Philippians 4, Paul says it this way, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” How thankful I am that Paul says this is something he has learned. Perhaps the wilderness is our most effective classroom.
What is contentment? Sinclair Ferguson defines it this way in his book, In Christ Alone, “Christian contentment, therefore, is the direct fruit of having no higher ambition than to belong to the Lord and to be totally at His disposal in the place He appoints, at the time He chooses, with the provision He is pleased to make.” David, in Psalm 63, describes it as his soul being satisfied with the richest of foods. This verbal picture reminds me of the way I feel after a Thanksgiving feast or a dinner at a fine restaurant. I’m full. I’m satisfied and often inclined to simply sit and rest. I don’t long or reach for other things to bring me that pleasure and satisfaction because I am full. I also picture a baby crying out in hunger who experiences fullness and satisfaction at her mother’s breast. Her face shows contentment, her cries cease, and she often immediately rests in her mother’s arms. It is suffering that often shoves us against the breast of our Savior (Joni Eareckson Tada), our real, lasting source of joy and contentment. He provides not only the nourishment we need to experience satisfaction and fullness but the sustenance that enables us to thrive and not just survive. Our life can be characterized by praise and rejoicing.
God’s Word communicates to us that those who belong to Christ can somehow grieve and rejoice at the same time (I Peter 1:6, Romans 5:3, James 1:2). We see this in David’s life in Psalm 63. He declares that he will praise Him as long as he lives. He lifts up his hands in God’s name, acknowledging His power and imploring His assistance.
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10).
Throughout Scripture, God’s name is a revelation of the very essence of who He is, His character, and His promises. David’s soul is satisfied as he runs to Him. It is there he is able to praise, lifting his hands and singing with his lips. Have you experienced the satisfaction of being shoved against your Savior’s breast? Are you miraculously able to suffer and rejoice at the same time?
PRAYER
Make this song by Indelible Grace your prayer.
“I do not ask to see the way my feet will have to tread, but only that my soul may feed upon the living Bread. 'Tis better far that I should walk by faith close to His side; I may not know the way I go, but oh, I know my Guide.
And if my feet would go astray, they cannot, for I know that Jesus guides my falt’ring steps as joyfully I go. And tho’ I may not see His face, my faith is strong and clear, that in each hour of sore distress, my Savior will be near.
I will not fear though darkness come abroad o’er all the land if I may only feel the touch of His own loving hand. And tho’ I tremble when I think how weak I am and frail, my soul is satisfied to know His love can never fail.
His love can never fail.
His love can never fail.
My soul is satisfied to know His love can never fail.
My soul is satisfied to know His love can never fail.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Paula Miles is the wife to Kevin and mother of four. Paula has experienced the joy of being both a full-time homemaker and a public school teacher. Studying and teaching God’s Word is her passion, as well as coming alongside women to encourage them to understand their unique design and fulfill their individual callings. Paula is on staff at Clemson Presbyterian as women’s ministry coordinator since 2014, is a conference speaker, and serves on the national women’s ministry team for the PCA as a women’s ministry trainer.
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Originally published Thursday, 25 August 2022.
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