A Wilderness Retreat with GOD
Notes
Transcript
My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
Many of us have heard that King David was a man after GOD’s heart. But just like us, he had his ups and downs in life. Following his sin with Bathsheba, he experienced a series of events in his life that really drained him mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. From the infant death of his first son with Bathsheba, his son Amnon raped his daughter Tamar, his son Absalom killed Amnon in revenge, and then Absalom conspired to steal the kingdom from him. This was extremely draining for David. So much so, that instead of fighting against Absalom, he took his family and those closest to him and retreated to the wilderness of Judea. We all share the same human status with David, and although we have been devoted to GOD, the events we’ve experienced this year have been draining to say the least. And just like David did, I believe we all need to see the benefit of having a “Wilderness Retreat with GOD”.
Retreat means to withdraw, or in our terms, “getaway”. Wilderness is land that’s not occupied or cultivated. How do we know David is having a wilderness retreat? 2 Sam 15:15 is the historical background that David flees Jerusalem because of Absalom’s conspiracy, and he passed through the wilderness west of the Mt of Olives, that’s the Judean Wilderness. Furthermore, he describes it in verse 1, a weary and dry land.
But why do we need a wilderness retreat Bro Evans?
We find a feast for our souls
If you notice also in verse 1, David describes his spiritual condition in the wilderness. He says “My soul thirsts for GOD”. And 2 Sam 15 also shows he was crying as he was walking. His physical thirst was real, but his spiritual thirst was greater! So he was not just fleeing, but more importantly he was searching to find! He was searching to get filled! And in verse 5 we see the contrast, he says “My soul is satisfied” as if it were at a feast with all the best food. Thus, it is in a Wilderness Retreat with GOD that we find a feast for our souls.
Application: When we are feeling drained, we need a getaway. I don’t mean a physical trip to the wilderness. We just need to withdraw from the things that are causing us drain. But we shouldn’t retreat just to do so, like David we should be searching to be filled up. With everything going on in the world today, our minds and feelings and understanding definitely need a refill. And when our souls feast, we can’t help but to say “GOD is good”, “GOD is great”, “GOD is awesome”.
When we meditate on GOD
But wait a minute, David is moving through a wilderness barefooted, watching his family and friends go through the wilderness too. His son has stolen his kingdom. He has left the palace and all the delicacies of food and provisions. At what point did his soul become this content?? David answers “When...” One of those nights, as he rolled out his sleeping bag, he started completely reflecting on GOD and meditating on his greatness, and it kept him up all night.
Application: Our souls begin to feast and be filled when our focus shifts!! It is at the point we stop for a minute, turn our ringers off, turn the TV off, said goodnight, and actively focus on GOD, his person and his promise. His mercy is better than life, all things move by his purpose, he is faithful, loving and forgiving, speaks and it’s done, full of wisdom, almighty and powerful, the ruler of all things, he is AWESOME!!! When those things about GOD are running through our minds, over and over, our souls’ appetite grows for GOD and begins having a feast!!
Because GOD is our provider and protector
Well that covers when it happened, but why was David’s soul feasting and why did he meditate in this way. He says “For you have been my help”. In other words, David recognized that all his life, GOD has been his side aiding and protecting him in all things.
Application: So why would our souls feast and why would we reflect and meditate all night about GOD, because his is our provider and protector. 20 years ago he spared my life from jail, 15 years ago he called me out of darkness, 10 years ago he helped me fight temptations, 5 years ago he strengthened my ministry, for 7 years he’s supported my marriage, for 12 years he has blessed the work of my hands, etc etc. He is the reason and under his protection, we sing He’s my king, he is alive, he’s awesome, I’m going that way, and there’s no friend like him!!!
My encouragement is that we have a wilderness retreat some time this week, wherever we are. Break away from the chaos for a minute. Flee from what’s draining us, so we can get filled with GOD, when we meditate on him because he is our provider and protector!!