40 Days of Lint, Day Two: In the Desert

In grade school I learned the difference between the word ‘desert’ and ‘dessert.’ “The way you can tell which one has two S’s,” my teacher said, “is that you always want more dessert, but you never want more time in a hot, dry desert.” Trials and suffering are desert times; we wish there was less pain, and more water, more palm trees and dates, and more time to chill at the oasis. Trouble comes to us all though, regardless of whether we’re believers or not. The difference is God’s people know where to go for relief.

King David knew how to do that. I’ve had my heartaches, but I can’t say anyone’s hurled a spear at me lately when I tried to soothe them with praise songs. No one’s brought their army into the wilderness to hunt me down and kill me. No one’s thrown rocks at me and cursed me to my face. My friends at church don’t openly ridicule me or celebrate when I get sick. And none of my children have taken possession of the house and kicked me out. But all of this, and more, happened to David. How did he survive? He talked to God about everything.

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;

I thirst for you,

my whole being longs for you,

in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1

Life is hard sometimes. The desert can be a miserable and lonely place to be. You head for a green oasis for some cool, refreshing water and end up getting a mouth full of dryer lint instead. Because what you saw was a mirage, there was really nothing there to quench your thirst. But if you express your thirst to God, He will satisfy your longing and get you to the other side of whatever desert you’re in.

Throughout Psalm 63, David provides the map to the Oasis: earnestly seek God; keep going to church and see God for who He is; praise Him in the desert; sing songs to God at night; and hold on tight to the Source of living water.

Lint Removed: Desert Thirst

Cleaning Process: Seek, Worship, Praise, Sing, Cling