Seeking & Finding a Sanctuary

“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.” Psalms‬ ‭63:1-2‬


We can easily become alarmed and frightened when we focus on the many things that are happening today. The constant broadcasting of the Coronavirus rather news worthy or not is creating a sprit of panic. And the places we seek for sanctuary and solitude like our churches, being not available, may make it all seem unbearable.

But really are sanctuary is with God that can never be taken away:

"Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah” Ps 77:13-15‬

The Scriptures before us is about David, whose spirit is low and in need of reviving on account of the distressing and alarming things pursuing him, but he can’t get to his normal place of sanctuary for prayer and worship of God.
In his cries to God, he discovers God is his sanctuary, and is there wherever he shelters in place: Seeking and finding a Sanctuary

Seeking a Sanctuary
“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.” Psalms‬ ‭63:1-2
‬
Some believe this occurred during the life of David after he had been run out of his capital city Jerusalem by his son Absalon. Forced to dwell in the wilderness and in caves away from his palace and people he loved, but most importantly away from the sanctuary of God.

John Calvin stated on this psalm the following:
"He does more than simply pray; he sets the Lord before him as his God, that he may throw all his cares unhesitatingly upon him, deserted as he was of man, and a poor outcast in the waste and howling wilderness."

This is the state of the godly who momentarily is overtaken by fears within and without, but then He turns to God for help.

Finding a Sanctuary
Turning to God while longing for a sanctuary, he finds a sanctuary in God in the wilderness:

"So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.”

A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, states: "The Psalmist thirsting in the wilderness wishes to be again near to God (ver. 1), as he was previously near Him in the sanctuary (ver. 2), and this longing is based upon the grace of God, which surpasses the dearest and most precious of all things, life"
‬ ‭
If God is your sanctuary in normal times, you will find in Him also to be your sanctuary in the bad times.