Psalm 63 -- The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God
This morning in my quiet time with the Lord, I was brought to Psalm 63 – and I love the Psalms – if ever
the cares and troubles of the world – or strife in our lives – anything is creating problems – and hinders
our focusing on the Lord in worship – going to the Psalms and reading them always will ‘re-direct’ our
hearts and minds to the Lord, and to His Person in worship. So often we need ‘to step back’ and again
‘realize He is God’ – He is my God – He is our God! He is Sovereign, and ‘in control.’
In many ways, it seems we have ‘lost touch’ with ‘true worship of Him.’ We get ‘so busy’ or ‘distracted’
or ‘involved’ in everything – often even in ‘kingdom work’ for the church – that we ‘wander away from
our very first love’ – which should be to ‘worship our God, our Lord and our Savior.’
David provides us with so much that is so ‘full of worship’ and focuses us upon the Person of the Lord –
and David was a king – and involved in governing, conquering, and defending his nation and people – so
he had many things that could distract him – but his love and relationship with God constantly drew him
to worship.
He fully understood ‘that once saved’ it ‘allowed him’ to ‘have a unique and personal relationship with
God’ – just as we all are so blessed. But, relationship is ‘interactive’ and requires our ‘participating’ in it
with the Lord, and ‘according to His will for us in obedience and love.’
Psalm 63 -- Ps 63:1 titled: The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God -- A Psalm of David, when he was in
the wilderness of Judah.
These comments taken from William MacDonald’s Believer’s Bible Commentary provide deep insight.
Some background: Temporarily deposed, David is trekking across the wilderness of Judah to his
enforced exile east of the Jordan (2 Sam. 15:23-28; 16:2; 17:16 – which I have copied below for you).
Even though the king’s political fortunes are at a low ebb, his spiritual vitality is high.
Haven’t each of us experienced similar? Don’t ever let your everlasting spring of living water in the
Lord become too distant or distasteful so that you fail to drink from it daily – so that you can ‘be
renewed in Him.’ 2 Cor 4:15-18 For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to
more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not
lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For
momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while
we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are
seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
63:1 It is magnificent to hear him claiming God as his own: “O God, You are my God.” The words
themselves are simple and childlike, but they contain a world of meaning. My God – an intimate,
personal relationship. My God – an abiding treasure when all else is gone. My God – a sufficient
resource in every crisis.
And it is humbling to notice the psalmist’s passion for God, especially when we remember how cold and
diffident we often are. He sought the Lord early – early in life and early every day. And he sought him
with a fervor that would not be denied. His soul thirsted for God, his flesh fainted for God – which means
that his entire being cried out for fellowship with the Eternal. His longing was as intense as the thirst of a
traveler in a dry, weary, waterless land. This, incidentally, is not a bad description of the world – an arid
wasteland.
63:2 In memory he goes back to those times when he worshipped at the sanctuary in Jerusalem, to those
ineffable moments when, caught up in an ecstasy of sacred contemplation, he saw God in all His power
and glory. Now his soul cannot be satisfied with anything less than a new unveiling of the Lord in
splendor and might. Some call it the beatific vision – this view of God in His divine glory. Whatever it is
called, it is an experience that makes all other glory seem jaded and dull.
Haven’t each of us who are His servants – who call ourselves ‘followers of Jesus Christ’ -- saved by His
merciful grace – haven’t each of us had some experience similar? Aren’t there times in reflecting upon
His love demonstrated for us at Calvary that we are brought to our knees in tears of thanksgiving and joy
– our hearts broken before Him -- that He so loved me/us as a sinner – that He paid in full the holy and
righteous demands in regards to the penalty of my/your sin against God the Father in order to redeem
me/you and forever reconcile me/you to God! If our hearts are ‘not broken’ towards Him, then we need to
‘re-visit’ our precious Savior as He was sacrificed for us at Calvary on that Roman cross—and reflect
upon just what happened there!
Be thou my vision, O lord of my heart __
Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best thought, by day or by night –
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
__ 8th century Irish Hymn; Translated by Mary E. Byrne; Versified by Eleanor H. Hill.
63:3,4 Then up from the unlikely wilderness of Judah rises one of great rhapsodies of adoration.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
The lovingkindness of the Lord is better than anything that life can afford. Human lips are best
employed in praising Him. All of life is not too long to spend in blessing Him. Our hands pulsate with
fulfillment when lifted up to Him in praise and prayer.
63:5-8 No banquet is like this sacred communion. Our souls are fed with the choicest delights, and joyful
lips respond with overflowing thanks as we redeem the sleepless hours of night by meditating on our
glorious Lord. What a help He has been to us – who can ever measure all He has done for us? Shadowed
by His wings, we raise our joyful song. And as we cling to Him in loving dependence and in conscious
need, He preserves us from dangers seen and unseen, and empowers us to press on toward the mark for
the prize (Phil 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the
prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus).
63:9,10 “Enemies?” did you say. “O yes, I do have enemies, men who are determined to obliterate me.
But they are destined to destruction. They will die a violent death and will suffer the disgrace of not
having a decent burial.
63:11 “But I will go on enjoying God. In fact, everyone who swears allegiance to Him will share in the
jubilation, whereas those who love to lie will be silenced.”
Faith and trust go hand-in-hand. As our faith grows, so grows our trust – as our trust grows, so grows
our faith. Both are fed and nourished as we spend time ‘in relationship’ with Him – and in relationship,
our first desire should be to worship Him – He is God! He is ‘my’ God! How awesome is that – that I
can have the personal assurance of God in His Son, Jesus Christ, that I am His – and in Christ, I can enter
into the very ‘holy of holies’ to worship God the Father – knowing I am His forever.
Luke 12:6-7 "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many
sparrows.
Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
In Him,
Bill Watts
5-17-06
Scriptural references: 2 Sam 15:23-28 While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the
people passed over. The king also passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward
the way of the wilderness. Now behold, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him carrying the ark of
the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar came up until all the people had
finished passing from the city. The king said to Zadok, "Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in
the sight of the LORD, then He will bring me back again and show me both it and His habitation. "But if
He should say thus, "I have no delight in you,' behold, here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to
Him." The king said also to Zadok the priest, "Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace and your
two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. "See, I am going to wait at the
fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me."
2 Sam 16:2 The king said to Ziba, "Why do you have these?" And Ziba said, "The donkeys are for the
king's household to ride, and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine, for
whoever is faint in the wilderness to drink."
2 Sam 17:16 "Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, "Do not spend the night at the fords of
the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be
destroyed.'"
Ps 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. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your
power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. So I will
bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and
fatness, And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on
You in the night watches, For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. But those who seek my life to destroy it, Will go into
the depths of the earth. They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; They will be a prey for
foxes. 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.