Worship Where You Are Planted

I was really enjoying what David wrote in Psalm 63 this morning. According to the study notes, he was in the desert of Ziph when he created this Psalm. King Saul had been persecuting him. Actually, persecuting doesn't really give the full picture; basically, King Saul was hunting him down. 

Yet, David writes:

"O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee: my flesh longeth greatly after thee in a barren and dry land without water:

Thus I behold thee as in the Sanctuary, when I behold thy power and thy glory." Psalm 63:1-2  (1599 Geneva)

The rest of the Psalm is great too, but this is the part that made me think.  I was referred to this passage by a devotional I was reading. It was more about longing for God. However, these verses spoke to me in a different way.

Even though David was going through a really bad time, he was praising God. He told God that despite being in a barren and dry land (which made me think of being at home in West Texas), David was choosing to regard God seriously as though David were in the temple worshiping.

David knew God was God, no matter the geography.  Therefore, David was going to worship God, no matter the geography.

David was going to worship God even though he was being persecuted. To me, it says a lot of David's heart for God when he didn't blame God for what he was experiencing. See what happened? You appointed me as the next king, now King Saul wants to kill me! Instead, David turns to God in praise and worship. Amazing. I can only hope I would be as faithful.

What astonishes me is the word "thus". It is an adverb meaning "as a result of" or "consequently". When I researched that, the verse exploded for me. As a result of his persecution, which led him to the desert in the first place, David is going to revere God as sincerely and devotedly as he would if he were in the sanctuary, where he beheld God's power and glory. Equating being in the desert with being in the sanctuary proves David knew God's power and glory were not contained in the mere walls of the temple. God's power and glory are present, no matter the geography. 

Here is what all this says to me:

1. I can substitute "geography" with "circumstance". God's power and glory are present and never-changing, regardless of my circumstance.
2. I can choose to either whine or worship. Hmmm.....whining has never solved anything. Let's try worship!

What a powerful testimony David's psalm gives us. Are you thinking to yourself, "uh, yeah, but David did some really bad things in his life"?

You bet he did. But at this moment in his life, his heart was really connected to God's. Quite honestly, do all of anyone's moments prove a good testimony for the Lord? I know mine sure don't.

I have heard of the expression "bloom where you are planted". I think this passage tells me "worship where you are planted."