For Bible Study this week, I was to study and re-write Psalm 63 as it would relate to me. Here's what I wrote:
My God. That personal relationship with You creates a painstaking earnest craving to know You. I’m alone and utterly exhausted. God, You are the All-Mighty One. You are Strength.
My first impression each morning needs to be of You, so that Your passions and ambitions will be mine—impacting every area of my life throughout the day.
Knowing the joy of being in Your Presence is overwhelmingly satisfying.
However, I still wander away and then the loneliness and weakness engulfs me. I then find myself longing to return to Your Presence.
In the midst of affliction, I can confidently praise You, my God, because Your mercy is greater than anything I may encounter. I will enjoy your kindness for all eternity.
Because of Who You are, I submit to You with the respect due You.
During those long night of tossing and turning, I will be calmed as I meditate on You and Your Word. You have come to my aid numerous times, and resting safely in Your protection, I praise You. Like glue, I cling to You, yet meanwhile, You are holding me tight.
I need to remember that those who try to discourage me and distract me from You, are just carcasses, left for the scavengers, to devour. You, are the One-True-God, and those who worship idols will one day be silenced as they too bow before the King of Glory.
There are a few aspects of my psalm which really hit home to me, especially the past few weeks.
The first truth is the concept of being alone and utterly exhausted. That's the meaning of the wilderness/desert David described in Psalm 63. I'm sure we each have things in our lives which make us feel "alone and utterly exhausted". There are many days which my pain creates a wilderness of overwhelming exhaustion—BUT (I love "BUTs"!)... BUT, God is the ALL-MIGHTY One. He is STRENGTH.
Although, it seems like I'm alone in the desert,
God is right there and He is my Strength.
WOW!
The second and third aspects of the psalm are that my first thoughts each morning need to be of my Heavenly Father, and that mediating on God during those long nights of tossing and turning will bring calm. I live with chronic pain, so there are MANY LONG nights of tossing and turning and my first thought each morning is usually—"OUCH". However, I noticed something recently which has changed my thoughts throughout the night and first thing in the morning. On February 6th, I made the commitment to memorize the Book of James. The more I worked on memorizing it, I found that when I awoke either during the night or in the morning, I found my mind quoting verses from James.
It is so refreshing to awake to God's Word
—oh, believe me the "OUCH" is still there,
but God's Word shouts louder!
The fourth aspect is that God's mercy is greater than any affliction I may encounter. Stop for a moment and reflect on that thought—God's mercy is greater than ANY affliction I may encounter! WOW!
The last aspect is that "God is holding me tight!" What a sense of security to know that God is loving me and protecting me—He is holding me tight.
There isn't any more comforting place to be
than being held tight by God.
The more I get to know my Heavenly Father through studying His Word, the more impact His Word will have in my life. The more impact His Word has, the more positive each day will be.
