Read Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 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.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
Go Deeper
Psalm 63 takes place in the wilderness of Judah as David is fleeing from either Absalom or Saul. This wilderness is hot, dry, and desolate – a fitting image for longing. David describes his seeking after God as thirsting for water in the midst of the desert. This was a feeling he was well acquainted with, to be sure. His soul longs for the Lord, his God, because he knows that God is the only one who can satisfy his longing–much like water is all that can satisfy our thirst. In the midst of physical desperation, David earnestly seeks after God and worships Him for who He is.
Water is necessary for life. But David confesses that there’s something much more necessary than water, and greater than life itself. The steadfast love of the Lord is the focus of David’s attention. Because his mind is fixed on God’s love, he is able to honestly and confidently pen these words.
Because your love is better than life:
- My lips will glorify you
- I will praise you as long as I live
- I will be fully satisfied
- With singing lips, my mouth will praise you
David never sees himself outside of the love and protection of God. His perspective is what allows him to praise. He continues to remind himself of God’s character and it brings forth singing.
Because you are my help:
- I sing in the shadow of your wings (a place of protection)
- I cling to you
- Your right hand upholds me
- Those who seek my life will be destroyed
Our perspective enables our actions. David’s perspective of who God is and how He cares for him allows him to praise God in the midst of the desert and in the midst of being pursued by his enemies. In Acts 16 when Paul and Silas are unjustly thrown into prison, they also sing hymns to God. No matter the situation we are in, we can choose to praise God for who He is and how He cares for us, knowing that His love is better than life.
Questions
- One definition of faith is believing that God can and God cares. What would it look like to act in faith today based on that definition.
- What do you find yourself longing for most? Who/what are you looking to for the satisfaction of your deepest desires?
- Does your current perspective cause you to praise? What would need to change for that to be the case?
Listen Here
Listen to the song “Psalm 63″ by Shane and Shane.
4 thoughts on “Psalms of Trust: Psalm 63”
Meditation
I always thought of this word as bad, it went with some kind of yoga that put you in another world. Spiritual voodoo LOL!!! But I am coming to understand that it is a state of the heart, a way of worship. That could be voodoo but here in Psalm it is Godly meditations to increase our love and knowldge of Him. It makes our souls grow fat, healthy and satisfied. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness: and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips: 6 When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.
God is steadfast and we need to commit to Him and meditate on Him, you come back to God with a steadfast, earnest love. You gaze with delight into the face of the One Whom you love, the One Who fills all of your emptiness.
God thank You for filling my emptiness. Thank You for satisifing me with Your lovingkindness. God I love to WOOHOO in joyful exuberance but also woohoo in solitude and meditation of who You are and what You have done for me. God thank You for Your peace that is beyond comprehension and Love that surpasses all understanding. God may my life reflect being in Your presence. Thank You for me sharing Your love outwardly to others today, looking at people through Your love goggles. Thank You that I hear them and that I listen with Your ears so that Your words come out my mouth. God thank You for these minutes of this day to glorify You in all I say and do in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The greatest desire of my heart is to be an apprentice to Christ. As John Mark Comer states in Practicing the Way—
•Be with Jesus
•Become like him
•Do as he did
My daily purpose is to have total dependence on Jesus, to thirst for Him.
“ earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you”
There have been times when I’ve been earnestly seeking someone/something. There have been times when I’ve been really thirsty. This should be my posture towards God.