In the Desert… Glorify God
As David walks through his desert in Psalm 63, he seeks God longingly, and remembers how faithful God has been, and then he bursts into praise! He says in verse 5: "My lips will glorify You. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands... with singing lips my mouth will praise You."
The Power of Praise in Difficult Times
Do you know what keeps Christians going in the deserts? It's a great desire to make God's glory known. The point of the whole Christian life is to make God's glory known. To show the world: my God is great. My God is wonderful. I trust my God. Whatever comes my way, He is faithful!
Making that known is what we're all about as people of God.
And so for David, in his desert even, he glorifies God. He praises, he lifts up his hands, he makes God's glory known. Job is another Bible character who did this. One of my favourite worship songs is 'Blessed Be Your Name', which is based on a verse in Job. Job goes through a terrible time, a real desert of pain and heartache, and he says at one point "the Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord!" Even in His pain, His response is to praise. To make God's glory known.
Finding Strength Through Corporate Worship
Paul did the same thing. Beaten and imprisoned for his faith, Paul and the other early Christians didn't just sit around and weep and lament. They sang praise!
I think one of the great reasons for coming to church is to praise God if you're in a desert. It's a great act of faith to come among your church family and lift your hands and sing God's glory especially when you're struggling.
Sadly, many of us don't. When we're in the desert, we stay away from church. It's a pity.
One of the guys at the Brothers in Christ group at Trinity Sunward Park always says that that group is his "oasis in the desert." Oh how I hope that you feel the same about your church! That when you're walking in a desert, you make sure you get to church so you can lift your hands and your voice and say "the Lord gives, the Lord takes away... blessed be the name of the Lord."
You'll get through your deserts, hear me, not by lamenting and moaning... but by praising and making God's glory known through your pain.
Spend time today in worship. Kneel down in the desert sand and praise God from the heart.
Because it's only in worship that we find the strength and joy to keep on walking through our deserts.
