“O God…my soul thirsts for you…
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”Psalm 63:1
Did you realise that deserts comprise one-third of the earth’s land surface? That means that for every two acres of good soil, there’s one acre of dry, barren soil on the planet. That’s a lot of desert.
I don’t know if the ratio is two-to-one, but I do know that in the pilgrimage of pastoral life, ministers will spend time in the desert. In the desert, life is hard and even harsh. In the desert, we feel dry, barren, even forsaken.
The Life of the Pastor in the Summer
Summer is an interesting time for pastors. For the average church member, summer means that school is out, which means it’s time for holidays, family reunions, and weekend camping trips. But since people can’t be in two places at the same time, all this travelling influences church life. Attendance often goes down, and along with it, ministry continuity and giving.
I have served in the same local church in Wheelersburg, Ohio, since 1987. Unlike some places around the country, we experience four distinct seasons in southern Ohio. We have spring (with the blooming dogwoods), summer (with its stifling humidity), fall (with its colourful leaves on the hardwoods), and winter (with its snow and ice).
From my observation, there is a seasonal aspect to church ministry. As goes the calendar, so often goes the heart of the pastor. There is spring with all its new growth and beauty (which we love). When autumn comes, we experience the reward of the harvest (which we also love). Even winter has its own reward, as the cold forces us to slow down and rest. But then, there’s the summer.
Summer is often a difficult time for a pastor. Church life sort of shifts into neutral. Yes, there may be camps for the kids and teen missions trip. All wonderful. But it’s hard to get traction with people in the summer, with all the travelling and family reunions. And this can produce discouragement in the heart of the shepherd.
Are you familiar with the phrase “the dog days of summer”? I grew up on a farm and can still picture our dog trying to find a cool place to rest on a hot day. Pastoral ministry can feel like that in the summertime. Sultry. Dry. Desert-like.
Can Anything Good Come Out of the Desert?
Psalm 63 says yes. According to the psalm’s heading, Psalm 63 is a psalm of David. But a particular experience in David’s life provides the backdrop for this psalm. David wrote it when he was in the desert (NIV; the ESV says wilderness) of Judah.
When did David spend time in the desert? We know he spent a lot of time there as a young man running from King Saul. But verse 11 suggests that when David wrote Psalm 63, he was already king. This may have been when David fled into the desert because his son, Absalom, usurped his throne and sought to kill him (2 Samuel 15:23).
To have your father-in-law hate and try to kill you (as Saul had done) is one thing. But to have yourson trying to snuff out your life is unthinkable. Yet this was David’s situation. And so this man of God, brokenhearted, left his palace in Jerusalem and fled for his life. Where did he go? Into the desert. What did he do there? He tells us in Psalm 63.
There are some lessons that we learn best when in the desert.
When we read Psalm 63, we discover that three realities came into clear focus for David while in the desert. This can happen to us, too, my pastor friend. When God takes us into a desert-like experience in the summer, He’s giving us the opportunity to gain three vital insights.
- In the desert, we learn what we really want (verse 1).
- In the desert, we learn what we really value (verses 2-8).
- In the desert, we learn what we really believe (verses 9-11).
In the desert, we learn what we really want.
David had a relationship with God before he entered the desert, but it was while he was there that he began to crave God. Consider the first words that flow from his heart and pen.
“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”Psalm 63:1
Picture a man stranded in the middle of the Sahara Desert. See him lying there, dehydrated and nearly dead. Given the choice, would this man choose a bag of gold or a canteen of water? He may have dreamed about bags of gold in the past, but now he must have water, or he will die.
This is one of the benefits of a desert experience. It forces us to assess our priorities. What matters most to us? A growing church? Being appreciated by our people? David’s testimony is so helpful. For what did David thirst the most when out in the desert? There are eighteen second-person-singular pronouns in Psalm 63 (in the NIV). Over and over, David uses the words “you” and “your” to clarify what he wants most.
It is God. The man of God yearns for God Himself.
In the desert, we learn what we really value.
In verse 2, David recalls an experience he had with God in the sanctuary and a lesson he learned there, namely, “Your love is better than life.”
But it’s one thing to say that in the sanctuary. Now that he’s out in the desert, that significant lesson is being tested. Is God’s love truly better than life? Is it better than a growing church, better than accolades in ministry? David’s answer is yes, and he backs it up by identifying what he intends to do for God.
Note the future tense verbs. I will glorify you. I will praise you. I will lift up my hands to you. I will be satisfied with you. I will sing praise to you. I will, I will, I will, says David.And why? David says it all boils down to this. Your love is better than life.
It’s why Eric Liddell chose not to run (although favoured) in the 100-meter dash in the 1924 Olympics, simply because they held the race on a Sunday. To Liddell, His love is better than life.
It’s why, somewhere in the world today, a Christian is dying every three minutes as a martyr. That’s 22 brothers and sisters every hour, 548 every day, 200,000 every year. Why are they laying down their lives? Because His love is better than life.
Spurgeon said it so well, “Life is dear, but God’s love is dearer. To dwell with God is better than life at its best; life at ease, in a palace, in health, in honour, in wealth, in pleasure; yea, a thousand lives are not equal to the eternal life which abides in Jehovah’s smile.” (C. H. Spurgeon, p. 66.)
In the desert, we learn what we really believe.
David concludes the psalm by expressing three personal beliefs. He affirms what will happen to his enemies in verses 9-10, what will happen to him in verse 11a, and what will happen to God’s people in verse 11b. This is quite an affirmation for a man who’s running for his life in the desert.
How can David be so sure of his enemies’ fate? He believes and knows that their future and his is in God’s hands.
Again, this is so helpful. Though David is still in the desert, he’s now expressing his confidence that the desert experience will end and that God will bring good out of it.
Pastors, let’s maximise the desert experience this summer.
Summer is the perfect time to assess and affirm. First, assess. Do you feel dry and barren? If so, I encourage you to do what David did. Be honest about this reality. Acknowledge it to yourself, but more importantly, to the One who already knows and cares.
But don’t stop there. Secondly, affirm. Affirm that your soul thirsts for God, that He alone satisfies. Then do this, as did David. Express the reality you’ve learned in past experiences in the sanctuary: His love is better than life. And by His grace, resolve to live in light of this hope-giving reality.
Action plan
Take inventory, my friend. What step of obedience would most say to the Lord right now, “Your love is better to me than life”? Here are three suggestions.
- Get up earlier tomorrow morning and spend extended time in God’s Word. This is not for sermon prep but for the sole purpose of knowing God better.
- Incorporate the hymnal into your devotional life this summer. Start singing your way through this treasure chest, one song per day. Sing each song to the Lord as an expression of worship to Him. Over time, this simple exercise will profoundly affect how you view the desert.
- Keep a journal for the rest of the summer. Record your thoughts about this summer’s desert experience. Record what you’re learning about God. But also, write down what you’re learning about yourself. Give careful attention to this important question. What am I learning this summer about what I truly want, value, and believe?
Be encouraged, my fellow shepherd. These are not the dog days of summer. Our wise Father intends to use these God-ordained days for our good and His glory (Psalm 139:16).
© 2024 Brad Brandt. Used with permission. Originally published at Church.FocusOnTheFamily.com.