Psalm 63: Living in the Wilderness

Psalm 63 is about living in the wilderness. It can be both literal and figurative.
Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness, see 5. Twelve Spies Exploring Canaan
in Moses; Part 13: Rebellion and Paganism. Figurative is what we call those times when we just find ourselves in challenging conditions and we don't like it.

There are several reasons why wilderness times can appear in our lives:

• Loosing someone we love, either to death or to a broken relationship.
• An long-term illness.
• A loss of a job, the ability to support oneself.
• A life change that is overwhelming.
• Feeling depressed and living in darkness.
• Disbelief in a Biblical truth, even when being a child of God.
• Pruning by our Heavenly Father to bear more fruit for God.

The feelings are then usually the same; separation and a sense of isolation, like being in the wilderness without water. We feel isolated from other people, we may even feel isolated from God. It's not enjoyable. These times can be met by sadness, self-pity, or confusion as to why one must be in the wilderness. 

The following can help in these situations:

• It's important not to give my mood a meaning that isn't real. My mood is not a sign of God's displeasure or my lack of love or devotion for him. The Bible calls it being "downcast", everyone experiences it.
• We shouldn't over-analyze our feelings, because that makes us focus on ourselves, and self-focus only makes depression worse.
• We can take time to share our blessings, either in prayer or in writing, and then be specific. Thinking about all we have to be thankful for. If we come up empty, we can ask the Lord to awaken our hearts to all the good he has done in our lives.
• Slowly recite the promises in God's word as you get ready for the day,
  or whenever these bad feelings arise. And then take a moment to thank God for giving us such amazing promises.
• Listen or sing to music that is uplifting, praise music that magnifies and glorifies God. This is what the Bible calls "sacrifice of praise" (Heb 13:15).
• We can do something for someone else, extend ourselves in some way to others. It could be by praying for someone going through a difficult time, sending a quick word of encouragement, or to see what needs to be done to help someone in my family.

The search that goes on during that time in the wilderness is personal.
David describes time he spent in the wilderness in Psalm 63.

(For some Bible translations, one has to be added to the verses in Psalm 63).

David is then looking for a person, he is looking for God himself (Psalm 63:1–2).
The reason David does this is because our God is a personal God and with whom
we can have fellowship. We need to come to him, to the God who can be known.
Jesus has promised us to have life and to have it abundantly (no matter how we feel) (John 10:10). David runs after God to bring the time in the wilderness to an end. He doesn't blame God, himself, or others for being there. He seeks God intensively and sincerely.

David says that God's steadfast love is better than life (Psalm 63:3). God is more important to him than anything else. David promises to bless God as long as he lives (Psalm 63:4). When one decides to come to God, one of the first steps to get out of the wilderness is to start praising God. David does this before he is out of the wilderness. He understands that he needs to walk in obedience to God, and that starts with praising God and praying to God (Acts 16:22–26, Luk 22:44). His soul
is then satisfied with peace (Psalm 63:5). David thinks of God during the night
(when he is awake with all his thoughts, seeking to find peace) (Psalm 63:6).
See also, for example Isaiah 40.

See also The Book of Psalms.