Read Psalm 63
O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
4 So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
6 When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
7 For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek my life to destroy it,
Will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They will be delivered over to the power of the sword;
They will be a prey for foxes.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him will glory,
For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped. |
MeditateConsider "There may be other songs that equal this outpouring of devotion: few if any that surpass it" (Derek Kidner, 1913–2008). Good reason to spend time absorbing the spirit of this psalm.]Think Further One hot, summer day I looked down from the mountaintop fortress of Masada towards the Dead Sea and the Wilderness of Judah. There was no hint of green, no sign of life, just dry, parched desert—a thirsty land. Three thousand years previously David composed this psalm in the same wilderness, thirsting for the refreshing presence of God. He and his supporters had escaped from Jerusalem, fleeing from his eldest son’s rebellion and those intent on taking his life and installing Absalom as king (2 Sam. 15:13—18:18).
David faced his personal danger, disappointment in his son’s betrayal and frustration in the desertion of many of his subjects by turning to God in true devotion. He remembered the past. God’s faithfulness, power and glory were clearly evident in happier days when David had worshipped in the sanctuary, but he knew that the comforting outward expressions of religion were not essential for him: he could find satisfaction in God alone. In the present, he celebrates God’s love with all of his being—lips, tongue, hands, will, mouth, memory and mind—and he recognizes that such love is more precious than life itself. He also looks to the future, secure in the knowledge that God’s justice will prevail. The destruction his enemies seek for David will ultimately be theirs.
In this psalm fifteen words refer to God as "you/your" and fourteen to "I/me/my." It portrays a very personal meeting of David, the king after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14), with the one in whom he glories with all of his being. David, of course, did not know Jesus. How much more we should bring our devotion to Jesus, who died, rose again, returned to his Father and poured out his Spirit for us.Apply Reread this psalm aloud to express your devotion to Jesus. What does the message mean for the dangers, disappointments and frustrations you face? |
