Steadfast Love | Psalm 107:7 - 9

shrinking, panting, & the city

a path in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney from our trip in May/June 2023

“He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.”

Psalm 107:7 - 9

I’m not a city girl. The suburbs are about as close as I’ll get, Lord willing. (I always say “Lord willing” because I’m from the South and because it’s true. You never know where the Lord might call you!) I need some open skies, pastures, and two-lane roads flanked with oak trees. I like people, but I want some room to breathe.

I have a friend who can’t imagine living anywhere but the city. She lives for the 24/7 sights and sounds. She feels safer tucked into a sardine can that scrapes the sky than a rambling ranch nestled on a 1-acre lot.

In ancient Israel, she wouldn’t be alone in her preference. Cities offered more protection and stability than the outskirts of town—or the open wilderness. They were places of refuge with towering walls to keep out the bad guys and with plentiful resources for whatever one might need.

For this country-loving soul, maybe the refuge of the city here could be likened to feeling “rooted” in a place. It could be physical or geographical, relational or spiritual. Or, all of the above.

It’s a place where we can let our guard down. We can rest. We can sink our lives deep into the ground and belong. Where those striving for fulfillment and longing can nestle in beside a river and receive the nourishment that eluded them in the desert.

I think the danger of the desert isn’t necessarily the thirst or hunger. It’s the temptation to shrink our desires and curb our appetites. To not need anyone or anything.