JOY!

Psalm 63: 1-8
   "1 O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in your sanctuary
and gazed upon your power and glory.

3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
how I praise you!

4 I will praise you as long as I live,
lifting up my hands to you in prayer.

5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.

6 I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night.

7 Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.

8 I cling to you;
your strong right hand holds me securely."

What beautiful words I found today in Psalm 63! I knew what I wanted to write about today, but I didn't know it would come in such a perfect verse!

There are several aspects to this verse that apply to me right now. First, I live in Oklahoma; which is enduring a drought right now, so when it says I long for Him like a perched and weary land where there is no water...I can identify! Not only is Oklahoma in a drought but sometimes I feel that way as well. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's felt this way, lonely, as if God had left me, and just far away in general. I've heard other people mention it to me, so I know I'm not alone. But here's the thing, when I find my self in one of those dry patches, and then make it through that patch; I come out on the other side with a new understanding of things. I always seem to learn SOMETHING, or more likely lots of things, when I feel as if God has left and is no where around.

And then I read how the Palmist says that His unfailing love is better then life it's self and I rejoice because I 100% agree with that! In my journey of learning...all of them...I've come to know and understand that my life is nothing without the One who created it leading and guiding it. In fact, sometimes, I get so excited about the thought of heaven, that I don't want to wait! I want to go join that party now! I love the way the Psalmist words this whole section, it's so uplifting and hopeful!

This weekend, my husband and best friend went to go visit some of our other friends in Tulsa. While we were there we did the typical vacation thing and ate the whole time; and not healthy either, so when I read verse 5, "You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy." It just made me smile! It is so much fun to leave your healthy diet behind for a weekend and just eat whatever fest is put in front of you, but by the time the vacation is over you are feeling as if you never want to eat again. The pelasure is only short lived in the eating of a fest. But, like the Palmsit says here, the Lord satisfies me more then the richest feast...and not only that, but He continues to satisfy, He'll never stop satisfing me and teaching me. What a joy to read that verse. I can see why the Psalmist follows that with singing praise songs of joy!

7 Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.

8 I cling to you;
your strong right hand holds me securely."

Yet even in my joy, I learn something from the Lord. These verses tell WHY I can sing for joy, I sing because the Lord is my helper, my teacher, my friend. He hides me beneath His wings, protects me there. All of these things really do cause me to cling even tighter to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I can just imagine in my head, clinging to the robes of this great Man, this Awesome Savior of mine, and when I get to Heaven, I imagine I will!