In the middle of the wilderness of Judah, as the title would suggest to us, pressed not only by his harsh, barren, dry surroundings, but being harrassed on every side by various groups opposing and even seeking to kill him, David writes:

O God, you are my God; earnesly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you as in a dry and thirsty 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.
– Psalm 63

How is it that David maintains focus in the midst of life-threatening (to say nothing of “livelihood threatening”) circumstances? By knowing God. He does not worship this God IN SPITE OF his circumstances; he worships this God BECAUSE of his circumstances. Worship of this God is not merely central and important to David in his circumstances, it is essential in such circumstances. It is by worship of THIS God that David is able to navigate these dire circumstances with hope. Worship of this living God, David knows, is the consuming reality within which all of life takes place - and by which life in the desert places is made possible.

Come then, having seen the glory of the Father in the life, death, and resurrection of the Son, let us worship! Knowing that his is the Power, and the Glory and the Kingdom - let us come together and worship!
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