Finding the Comfort of a Spacious Place
Insights from the Psalmist.
This morning, reading through Psalm 118, there were a couple of verses sparked my interested.
“Let those who fear the LORD say: ‘His love endures forever.’ When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; he brought me into a spacious place.” (Ps. 118:4-5)
After reading this, my mind centred on the concept of a spacious place. A quick word search and I found the term used again, but a hundred Psalms earlier.
“He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” (Ps. 18:19)
What’s so comforting about a spacious place?
Why would the Psalmist use this term? I think it’s because we like open spaces. A wide open space, specifically related to creation, like an open valley, is comforting.
I could spend a few more paragraphs unpacking this idea, but I have something better for you today. Check out this home video by a young artist named Rebecca Urrutia (YouTube handle, guitarbeccaz), featuring her song titled “Spacious Place“.
Join the Conversation, Leave Your Thoughts
- What is so comforting about a spacious place?
Man, coming from a prairie boy I love spacious places. I love to look out and see open fields and open sky. I like to visit big cities, but I get claustrophobic if I spend to much time in tight quarters. If you look at new houses in new communities they always seem like 5 feet apart from each other and I always think that is way too close! Spacious places are comforting because you aren’t restricted by anything. There is room to move and breath and think. A spacious place can be a real blessing when you feel things caving in around you. Thanks for the post!
Thanks for your post Kevin. I remember you place. Mark took me out a couple times to glass for coyotes and spacious doesn’t even come close to describing it! I can only imagine spending some quite time with the Lord, laying down in those fields, looking up at the sky. Though one may become very aware of His greatness, I’m sure God feels very code in that setting. Thanks for the support!
The “spacious place” is one of my favorite phrases (found this googling it, in fact), and what I like about it is the idea of David, trapped, just wanting a place to be able to turn around and fight, and God giving him just what he needed. He wasn’t rescued and placed far from the situation, just given what he needed to get through it. I related this all to me, to being rescued from dead-end situations, being “trapped”, and bringing me to a place where I can use my gifts, have freedom to work, where I might still have trouble but at least I’ve been given what I need to go through it.
Great comment Emily! Excellent insight into the topic of “spacious place”! Referencing David’s relationship with the Lord and the struggles that he was brought through has the potential to reach us all at some time or another. I needed your comment today! Thank you for the support!