Psalm 63
Scripture:
1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by him shall exult,
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
Devotion:
Psalm 63 opens in the wilderness, and that is not a detail to move past quickly. The heading tells us David wrote this psalm when he was in the wilderness of Judah, most likely while fleeing from his son Absalom. He had been driven from Jerusalem, from the sanctuary, from everything that had given his life structure and comfort. And it is in that condition, thirsty and displaced and surrounded by enemies, that he writes one of the most beautiful declarations of desire for God in all of Scripture.
"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you." This is not the language of a man writing from a comfortable distance. It is the language of someone who has been stripped of everything else and discovered that God is still there, still sufficient, still better than whatever he lost.
This week, we will walk through this psalm together using the HEAR method: Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. We will also look at Isaiah 55 and 1 Peter 1, two passages that deepen what David is reaching for here. By Sunday, you will come to worship with a week's worth of meditation on this passage behind you.
Today, simply read the psalm. Read it slowly. Read it aloud if you can. Then ask the Holy Spirit: What do You want me to see here? Write down whatever He highlights for you.
HEAR about it:
Highlight:
Write down the verse, phrase, or word the Holy Spirit highlighted for you. Why did it stand out? What might God be saying to you through it?
Prayer and Reflection:
Take a few minutes to sit quietly and reflect on the passage you read today. Let the Holy Spirit bring to mind what stood out to you and why. Then spend some time in prayer. Pray for the people around you, for your outlook on this day, and for the needs you are carrying in your own life.
Lord, open my eyes to see what You want to show me in Psalm 63 this week. I come to You the way David did, not with everything figured out, but thirsty and willing to sit with Your Word. Speak through it, and give me ears to hear. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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