“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.” -Psalm 63:1
Have you ever felt God speaking directly into your life through a seemingly random verse? Have you ever stumbled into a passage that brought you to tears?
I had that experience a few weeks ago when I turned to this Psalm during a morning reading. You might remember from my previous post, that early mornings are a regular occurrence in our household and not for the sole purpose of reading the Bible. If I’m totally honest, my time in the Word is interrupted and inconsistent these days, usually with a restless baby in tow or over a quick sip of soon-to-be-cold coffee. On this particular morning, the words of Psalm 63 spoke to the frustrated longing within my soul. I feel hungry and thirsty for the Word, for the presence of God himself. And I feel it that much more acutely in a season when suffering and loneliness seem to surround me.
“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.” (63:3)
If you have been following along with the blog series on Struggle and Hope, then I hope you have been able to think about practices of personal and relational care that might be necessary in your life. Today I’d like to think more intentionally about spiritual care, but it’s important to acknowledge that all along in the series we’ve been talking about types of spiritual care. As embodied, image-bearers of God, we know that our soul is not mysteriously disconnected from our physical bodies or relational experience. In that way, sometimes caring for your soul, looks like tending to your physical body as Elizabeth King wisely reminded us. At other times, it might look like moving towards greater intimacy with a friend and nourishing our God-given relational needs. If you are struggling with a significant level of depression or anxiety, or thoughts of self-harm, I hope that Paul Brasler’s post reminded you that spiritual care might be the grace to seek out professional mental health services. All of these practices are types of care for our souls, but sometimes our spiritual life needs a unique kind of attention. Because the deepest longing, the true need of our soul can only be answered in the power and glory of our God.
“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;” (63:4-7)
I don’t know how you would describe your personal spiritual health or relationship with God today, but I can imagine that there have been moments of desolation in the last year. Every household and family has been impacted by the pandemic in unique ways, but we have all shared the realities of corporate grief and trauma. Together we have watched the death toll from Coronavirus surpass half a million people in the U.S. Together we have donned masks to complete our grocery shopping and doctor’s visits, to attend church and to gather with friends. If you are anything like me, at times, it has felt like too much. But in these moments of despair and loneliness, discouragement and fear, do we remember where our surest support is found?
“My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” (63:9)
Our culture is full of strategies for responding to the real and unique challenges of the pandemic. A few minutes with Google and you can find everything from quick fixes for the loneliness of social distancing to genuine approaches for coping with grief. But God has placed a longing within us that can only be satisfied with Himself. If we are looking for world-based strategies to the challenges of our daily life, even well-intentioned ones, we will inevitably be disappointed.
While God’s presence is never removed from his children, he recognizes our seasons of loneliness and despair by equipping us with practical tools for spiritual care. As I already mentioned, spiritual care can take a variety of forms and meanings, but today I would like to mention two specific ways that we can be reminded of the goodness of God in seasons of suffering.
First, let us not neglect to nourish our souls with the Word of God. In a perfect world, my morning routine would involve quite a bit more time with God and his word. But in this season, I’m clinging to even the smallest taste of Scripture, because I know that in His Word my soul finds deeper satisfaction than in my favorite comfort foods and a truer rest than a full nights sleep on a fresh linen bed. While there is a time and place for deeper study of God’s word, we don’t have to read volumes to meditate on the goodness of God. If you are struggling to find time for God’s word or simply feeling disconnected from God, I encourage you to start simply. Read through the Psalms or another book of the Bible in small sections. On some days, I am most profoundly touched by God in the form of Scripture set to children’s music that we play for our kids. No matter the medium, let us not forget that God’s word is powerful and transformative for our lives, that it can pierce directly to the place of our soul as Psalm 63 did for me.
Secondly, let us not forget to seek support in our Christian community. God never intended for us to be alone, especially in times of suffering or sorrow. The realities of physical isolation have been felt profoundly during the pandemic, so it’s even more important that we be uniquely attentive to our needs for Christian community. When we open ourselves to a level of intimate and vulnerable community with other Christians, we are able to be the hands and feet of God to one another. The practice of receiving or giving prayer with a friend, invites the Holy Spirit into our midst in a healing way. If you are searching for a deeper spiritual community, but don’t know where to start, I encourage you to reach out to Ben Lansing, Redeemer’s Small Groups Coordinator, about getting connected to one of our fellowship groups. If you think you are in need of a deeper level of relational spiritual care, I encourage you to reach out to our care team coordinator, Christa Vickers-Smith and she can help direct you based on your specific needs.
No matter where these words find you, I hope that you are reminded today that God alone sustains us and upholds us, that He satisfies and fulfills us, that ‘His steadfast love is better than life.’
—Rachel Capel is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) at Haven Christian Counseling.
