Psalm 63:8 (KJV): My soul followeth hard after Thee; Thy right hand upholdeth me.
The expression 'followeth hard' here is 'dabaq' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'to cling to, to cleave (join together), to adhere firmly, to stick to (like glue)'. Very interestingly, the Septuagint (the early Greek translation of Old Testament) renders this verse as 'My soul has been glued to You'. In other words, 'My soul sticks to You like glue'!
This same word 'dabaq' can be found in Genesis 2:24, a verse we often quote for marriage between husband and wife, 'Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave ('dabaq') unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh'.
People of God, what do you do if you feel 'dry', discouraged, or lonely (with no one to turn to)? What do you do if you are hard-pressed in life, and nothing seems to be encouraging around you? Well, that was exactly what David experienced when he was in the wilderness (or desert) of Judah, fleeing from those who sought to destroy his life!
Despite all that, David did the right thing by turning away from his loneliness, discouragement, and 'desert' situation around him, and instead, he turned to the Lord. In other words, he chose to stay glued to the Lord in such a time. In Psalm 63:1-2, he wrote, 'O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory'.
The word 'sanctuary' here is 'qodesh' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'a place that is whole, a place of refuge'. While praying the other day, I saw a vision of a bird sanctuary, where migratory birds (or even endangered species of bird) would gather for food and water. A sanctuary is a place of refuge. A sanctuary is a place of safety and protection. You see, a sanctuary is no sanctuary at all when there is no water. But in the same vision, I saw rivers of water flowing through the sanctuary.
People of God, whatever 'desert' you may be facing right now, come and drink from His rivers in the sanctuary. Let Him refresh you, and let Him fill you with His living waters once again. This is a time of refreshing. This is a time of receiving. And like David, you too will eventually see your deliverance from whatever 'wilderness' (or 'desert') in your life. Amen!
