Wilderness Walking

Good morning and welcome to Northwest Pentecostal Assembly! We are so glad that you can join us, whether online or in person. While Josh continued on with our Hebrews sermon series last week, this week we’re going to take a break and work through another Psalm. This Psalm happens to be my personal favorite and one that I turn to when I am feeling despair or exhaustion creep in, so I was thrilled when I felt led to preach on this passage. Before we dive into that, however, would you bow your hearts with me as we say a word of prayer?

Jesus, thank you so much for bringing all of us together in this place to worship you and to soak in Your Word. We just ask that You would be with us as we continue through the service and into the rest of our week, that Your Name would be glorified and that You would touch our hearts with a Word from You. We thank you for Who You are and always will be. Amen.

I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced a wilderness in your faith, maybe you don’t even know what the term means. I didn’t really understand it when I was younger either, but my dad, who is a pastor, told me about his first church. It was in a small town of 300 people and he was there for about 3 years. He described a time to me that he called a wilderness. He said that it was a really dry time, that the sky felt like a brass dome off of which his prayers bounced right back. That doesn’t sound very pleasant or joyful, does it? So now, whenever I think about the term wilderness, this is what my initial thought is. Psalm 63 starts off with this term right in the title - a Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. Now, this is clearly a literal wilderness that the title is speaking of, but as we head into the Psalm I think you will see a wilderness of another kind described. If you’ll turn with me to Psalm 63, we’ll get right into that.

Psalm 63

Psalm 63 ESV

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 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. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

In the first verse of this Psalm, we see such depth of longing for God that it is deeply touching. David is in the Judaean wilderness, as the title told us, and probably on the run from either Saul or Absolom (it doesn’t specify). This is desolate territory, and desolate times for David, but he still yearns for God, aches for Him. The beat of David’s heart is for the Presence and Hand of God, and we see this throughout his Psalms, especially this one. David’s longing is a thirst, an image that may have been prompted by his surroundings considering he moves on to talk about a “dry and weary land where there is no water”. His desire for God is as if he is walking in a desert and cannot find water - it is almost life-threatening! Have you ever been working hard on a hot day, sweating a lot, losing water as you do, and there is no way for you to get water to drink at the moment? The strength of your desire for water grows exponentially with each moment that it is not satisfied, with your body constantly reminding you: Hey! We need to drink something! David yearns for God in this way - his spirit reminds him constantly of His need for God, of the need to be with His Maker. Do we thirst for God like this? When we walk in the wilderness, when we can’t see how things could possibly turn out alright, when we can’t sense God’s Presence and it seems that your prayers are in vain, do we yearn for Him like water in the desert? Or do we sit in the wilderness and mope about, angry that we’re there and angry at God for not having taken us out of it already? I know this is how I tend to be. Most recently, I experienced a hint of wilderness when I was in labour with Jonathan. Don’t worry, I won’t be too descriptive. But as I was in so much pain with contractions for hours and hours, I kept praying, begging God to ease the pain, even a little bit, to show me in some way that He was there. Josh was constantly reminding me “you’ve got this and God’s got you”, and I held onto that, that knowledge got me through… but you know what? The next day, the next week, when it was all over, I was angry. I was so angry that God hadn’t done anything to help my pain! I totally disregarded the fact that even the mere mention of Him gave me strength to last even when I didn’t think I could. When I had made it through to the other side, I processed that anger with my husband, Josh, and I was reminded of God’s unfailing love, His unfailing Presence, and that while I cannot always see Him at work and He does not always do what I want, He is good.

As Christians, should this be our response? Should we mope and pout and wail and give up all hope while we think that God is silent and avoiding us and doing nothing at all? No! But what should we be doing? How can we hold onto faith when we’re stuck walking through a place of dryness and waiting?

When you’re walking in the wilderness, trust our unfailing God!

Well that’s grand, but how do we trust in God, especially when everything around us is saying that He’s abandoned us? Looking at this passage, we can take away 3 reminders to help us to trust God. Our first reminder is this -

Remember: Your Past Experiences with God

Psalm 63:1-4 starts us out with “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.”

David follows up his description of his longing for God with an interesting statement - “So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.” According to one commentary, this word “so” could be expanded to say “so longing”, and Kidner, the author of this commentary on Psalms 1-72, interprets this as David pointing to past experiences of worshipping God with similar longing where God showed up. David had past experiences with God, he had longed for God like this before, and God had shown up then, so David can expect Him to do that same thing now. This is something we see in the Bible many times, that looking back on what God has done can help us have faith moving forward. We see this in Deuteronomy 3:21-22, the Israelites are about to change leadership after 40 years in the wilderness, from Moses to Joshua, and they’re about to head into the Promised Land - finally - without the man who led them out of Egypt. They’re facing big things, scary things, and Moses gathers them to give a big parting speech. He reminds them of how far God has brought them, he reminds them of their many failings and God’s unfailing mercy and His discipline. Then, in verses 21-22 of chapter 3, he says “21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. So will the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you are crossing. 22 You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.’” Moses reminds Joshua, and now the people as well, of how God came through on His word in the past. This is to remind Joshua that what God has done before, He will do again! God fought for them before and was victorious - obviously - and He is fighting for them now, so who can possibly defeat them? This is the power of remembering what God has done in the past and allowing that to build your faith.

When I was coming to Vanguard in my first year I took out student loans, and they gave me a hefty sum but I was expecting to have to use all of it in my first year and probably take out more during the following years. Instead, God provided in an entirely unexpected way and almost the entirety of my first year of tuition ended up being paid by scholarships, those student loans have lasted me until now, and much of them have been sitting collecting interest. God provided for me financially in that first year so abundantly that it became a marker for me of God’s provision, something that I look back on when I fear for the future to remind me that I can trust God’s provision. In 1 Samuel 7:12, we see that God has just defeated the Philistines on behalf of Israel while they were led by Samuel. Verse 12 says 1 Samuel 7:12 “Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”” This stone was a reminder to look back on, “this is the place where God has helped us”, and every time someone looked at it, it could serve as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and His promises to remain faithful and fight for Israel. So we can see, this is a theme - Israel was constantly reminded of God’s past faithfulness, times when He had done amazing things for His people, to bolster their faith for what He would do in the future.

Remember: His Current Presence

So, one way to trust in God as we walk through the wilderness is to remember your past experiences with Him. There are two more reminders we can take away from this passage to help us hold onto God in a dry and weary place. The second one is Remember: His Current Presence. Now, this might seem counter intuitive, since in a wilderness it is difficult, if not impossible to feel God’s Presence. This is where I have to point out the difference between feelings and fact. Feelings are important, God gave them to us for a reason after all, but there are some facts that are bigger than what we are feeling. The fact that comes into play here is this: God is always with us. Going back to Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the people in chapter 31 verse 6 - Deuteronomy 31:6 ““Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”” God is with them, even in the face of scary giant people like the ones they’re about to face! Jesus also makes a similar promise in the New Testament to His disciples. Matthew 28:20 promises “...I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”” So, because the Bible says it, we know it’s true - God is always with us, even when it doesn’t feel like it. So back to our wilderness, why is His Presence something we need to remind ourselves of? Because in a wilderness, we can’t feel it, but it’s always there. Verses 5-8 of Psalm 63 go on to say:

Psalm 63:5-8 “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. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.”

David praises God even in the midst of a crummy situation, thinking of and meditating on Him. One of my absolute favorite lines in this Psalm are verses 7-8, and I particularly like the NASB’s rendering of it: And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me”. This is such a cool picture of God, like He is a mother bird that has gathered its little ones under its wings, nice and tight and safe. It’s close enough to hear God’s heartbeat, to feel His love for us. Because He is always Present, even when we cannot feel Him, we can know that we are sheltered under the shadow of His wings, drawn close to His chest. What we need to cling to is Him, that promise of constant Presence. Hold onto that promise when you’re walking through the wilderness and know that His right hand upholds you!

Remembering the constant Presence of God makes me think of a scene from one of the book in the Chronicles of Narnia - the Horse and His Boy. The boy, Shasta, is riding with a large group, but falls behind and gets very lost.

“Shasta discovered that someone or somebody was walking beside him. It was pitch dark and he could see nothing. And the Thing (or Person) was going so quietly that he could hardly hear any footfalls. What he could hear was breathing. His invisible companion seemed to breathe on a very large scale, and Shasta got the impression that it was a very large creature. And he had come to notice this breathing so gradually that he had really no idea how long it had been there. It was a horrible shock....” And then Shasta goes on to talk to this Creature eventually, and when the Creature invites him to tell it his sorrows, he does just that. He tells the whole tale of his life, essentially, and of his journey to that point, including run-ins with several lions. Then, we’ll go back to reading here.

“I do not call you unfortunate,” said the Large Voice.

Although Shasta was entirely unaware of the Presence of the Lion, who we know is Aslan, an image of Jesus, Aslan was always there providing in sometimes unexpected ways. In the same way we can trust that even when we are unaware of God being with us, He is with us and often providing in unexpected ways.

Remember: The Future Victory

The final reminder is this - Remember: the future victory. In the last few verses, David switches his attention to the future. In the wilderness of Judaea, at a dark and lonely time in his life - regardless of whether it was Saul or Absolom he fled from - David turns his focus to a future that gives him something to hope in. He has talked about both a past experience with God, where he saw the glory and power of the Lord in the sanctuary, and his present awareness of God’s Presence and protection. Now, verses 9-11 say:

Psalm 63:9-11 “But those who seek my life to destroy it, Will go into the depths of the earth. They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; They will be a prey for foxes. But the king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him will glory, For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.”

David speaks here about the future destruction and defeat of his enemies, how God will put an end to their schemes. Far greater than the destruction of human enemies, however, is the promised destruction of the enemy of our souls - Satan. Jesus warned His disciples in Matthew 10:28 ““Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” So if we focus on the big bad guy, which is especially easy in a wilderness, then we can find it all too easy to feel hopeless, like the war will never be over and never won. How many times do we end up feeling that way? We make Satan out to be so much bigger than he actually is, we think he’s the equal opposite to God, when he is really just another created being. His power cannot possibly compare to the power of the Almighty God. What can we do when it feels like the fight will never be won? We can hold onto the promises of Scripture. Philippians 2:10-11 says “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The Name of Jesus is the Name above every other name and this passage indicates that one day every being will recognise that fact. The battle will be won, He will reign over all! We see this even further in Revelation 19:11-21.

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.”

This passage from Revelation describes a battle of cosmic proportions - the armies of heaven dressed in white and riding white steeds led by a King with many crowns, flaming eyes, with a sharp sword coming from His mouth, which one commentary author, Leon Morris, explains means His Word is powerful! What a fearsome description! If I saw that headed towards me, I think I’d turn tail and run, wouldn’t you? There is no need here for a detailed description of the battle, it is the outcome that matters. Just as Philippians assured us, the King - Jesus - is victorious over the enemy and his followers. This is such an utter victory, and so assured, that an angel calls the birds even before the battle begins because they will have a feast prepared for them. That’s more than a little gruesome, but this total certainty of victory is something for us to hold onto. When we are walking through the wilderness of life, a spiritual dry spell, a time of trials and suffering, whatever it may be, how can we trust in God? We can remember that the future victory is assured.

Conclusion

A time of wilderness can be so frightening, when it feels like the world is against you and your one Defense is Missing In Action. When we are walking through the wilderness, we must trust in our unfailing God. Remember your past experiences - God has been there in the past, He will continue to be faithful! Remember His current presence - He promised to never leave us, and He is always true to His word even when we can’t feel Him. Remember the future victory - Our God will be victorious over the enemy, so what we face now is only temporary! All of these reminders can help us to trust in God even when we are in a difficult time. So, to take away from this, what is something you can do tangibly when you are facing the wilderness? You can do like Samuel did in 1 Samuel 7:12 and create a stone marker. Take a stone and either write on it a Bible verses that reminds you to trust in God, or write down a date or a word that reminds you of a time when God has been there for you in the past. Write Scripture verses on flash cards and attach them to your mirror to remind yourself of God’s promises to always be with you, so that you can see them every day. Listen to worship music that speaks of the Coming of Jesus and the day when He will win the final victory and Satan will be defeated for evermore! Hold onto God as you journey through the wilderness, and no matter how easy it feels, don’t stop walking. A wilderness season is not made to stay in, it’s made to grow in and grow out of.

If there is anyone here this week that has not invited Jesus into their lives and accepted the free gift of salvation that He offers, please, He is just waiting for you to say “yes, Jesus, I know I screw up. I want Your forgiveness and to live with you forever in restored relationship”. All it takes is to say that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, that’s what Romans 10:9 says. If you’re not ready to take that step but you have some questions, feel free to come talk to myself, Josh, Pastor Vincent, Pastor Kerri, or you can wait to talk to Pastor Jonathan, Pastor Naomi, or Pastor Feller when they are back next week. We would all be thrilled to talk to you about Jesus.

I would just like to invite everyone to take a moment, while the worship team comes up and prepares to lead us in a closing song, to reflect. In prayer, I’d like you to ask God what He has to say to you right now for the situation you are in at this moment, whether you are in a wilderness right now or not. Make sure you write down what He says so that you don’t forget it. Yes, that means you can use your phone in the service. Ask God to speak, listen for that still small voice, and after a few minutes I’ll invite you all to stand as we sing our last song and close in a word of prayer.

Will you bow your heads with me as I close with a word of prayer?

Lord God, we thank you for Your Word and the promises that we can hold onto. We ask that whenever we face a wilderness season, a time of dryness and despair, that you would remind us of your past faithfulness, you would bring to mind your promises to always be with us, and you would point us to the promise of your future victory over the Enemy once and for all. We thank you that we can trust in You, that You never fail us, and that You never leave us. We love you, thank you for loving us so much you would die for us! Be with us this week as we face whatever it will bring. We praise you, Amen.