David taught us how to worship God when life is hard. He’d been anointed, chosen to be a king, but despite his chosen status, he had enemies. Saul wanted him dead. I’m sure as David thirsted in the hot, dusty desert, he wondered what God was doing, and when He’d deliver him.
Despite the circumstances, as David hid in the caves along the cliffs of an oasis called En Gedi, he found the time and the heart to write one of the most beautiful psalms. Psalm 63 is a wonderful example of what to do and how to worship if you find yourself between a rock and a hard place—in difficult, perhaps frightening circumstances.
David wrote,
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
Worship God As Creator
Psalm 63 teaches us how to cry out to God as David cried, “Oh God (Elohiym), you are my God (El).”
Elohiym is the Hebrew name for God who is the creator God. It’s employed in Genesis 1. “In the beginning Elohiym created the heavens and the earth.” It is also a plural noun used in singular form. This was often the case for Hebrew “majestic” nouns, but I also envision the Trinity wrapped up in these seven letters that form a name for our Creator. David recognized God as his creator in another beloved psalm.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:13,14).
You, beloved, are wonderful. Wonderfully made for purpose.
When we find ourselves in those hard, dry places, those lonely, seasons, we often entertain thoughts of our unworthiness or we listen to those negative tapes in our heads believing that God will not use us, we heard Him wrong, or He is angry.
But what if we simply say, “I know God created me; therefore, I am beautiful and good because all that He made is good.”
This truth alone can be life changing, but David’s words held more wonderful truth.
Worship God as Your Strength
David said, “Oh Elohiym, my creator, my El.”
El is a shortened version of ‘ayil. It was a word meaning god. When used as an adjective it means mighty.
When it’s used of deity it means strength. Look at the other definitions for this word:
“. . . anything strong, specifically a chief (politically) also a ram (from his strength); a pilaster (as a strong support) an oak or other strong tree–mighty man.”
I love this. David was saying, “Oh Elohiym, my creator, you are my strength, the strong one in charge of my life.”
He is the ram. This is so powerful. In the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac, the provision God sent was a ram–the foreshadowing of His own sacrifice of both His son and Himself on that cross.
The Lord is our ram.
Worship God in the Morning
David continued, ” . . . earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
The Hebrew word translated as “earnestly” is Shachar. It can mean earnestly, but the definition also includes, “enquire early, rise (seek) early, in the morning.”
Nothing encourages us like watching the sunrise to renew our hope in the faithfulness of God. The sun rises every day. Scripture promises His mercies are new in the morning. Great is His faithfulness (Lam 3:22-23).
Worship God with Your Lips and Hands
David’s Psalm of praise continues:
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
Psalm 63: 2-5
His words teach us to worship God visibly and audibly. Rather than simply thinking our prayers and praise, we need to speak them with our outside voice. Try this. Next time you worship God. Stand up and read Psalm 63 out loud. When you’re listening to your favorite worship music in the car, sing out loud.
Along with your voice, include your hands. When you sing or read psalms or prayers of praise, lift up your hands. If you aren’t comfortable raising your arms start practicing this way of worship all alone in your home. As you practice, you will feel more comfortable doing so at church (that was my experience.) These physical, tangible actions help us run to God and trust Him.
Replace Worries with Worship and Trust
On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63: 6-8
How many of us lie in bed at night wide awake worrying about what’s to come? David replaced his nighttime worries with thoughts of God’s help, his power, and covering. David did not run from God when trouble came, but he clung to Him and proclaimed God’s protection in the midst of the trouble.
6 Steps to Take in Hard Times
According to David, this is how to worship when we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place:
- Declare God to be our creator; therefore we are important and beautiful to Him.
- Declare God to be our God, our strength, our ram.
- Get up early in the morning to worship Him. Go watch the sunrise.
- Worship Him out loud.
- Lift up our hands in worship.
- Trust Him to bring us through.
A Prayer for Those Going Through Hard Places
So many people face difficult situations. Please remember, you aren’t alone. Don’t try to do it alone, find a faith community and small group to encourage you through difficult days. And don’t forget that our God is only a prayer away. Let’s pray together:
“Elohim, our creator and strength, help us cling to you. Be our strength. Wake us up early to see the sun rise above the horizon overtaking the darkness in our world and our hearts. The sun reminds us of your power and faithfulness. We lift our voice to you and raise our hands to worship. Deliver us as you did David and give us a heart of worship like he had. We trust you. We love you. You will bring us through. Amen.”
What a privilege to worship, whether good times or bad. Thank you, Andy. Blessings.
Thank you, Andy.
I know you wrote this from your knees and I wanted to thank you- It has been so helpful to me.
I choose today to worship him and am asking Elohim, to be my strength. Amen.