O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
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.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.
But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
They shall fall by the sword;
They shall be a portion for jackals.
But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.—Psalm 63
As I read through Psalm 63 what struck me over and over again was David’s humility in admitting his need for God. It is clear just from reading this Psalm that
God was who David sought when he awoke…
God was David’s safety and support….
God was his help and his strength.
God was who David longed for…
God was where David’s soul was satisfied.
God’s loyal love (lovingkindness) was better to David than life itself.
God’s shadow of protection is where David sang for joy
It is also clear that David’s praise came from the outflow of a heart that spent much time meditating on God and thinking on Him through the night watches.
I am thankful for David because over the years his example has encouraged me to do the same in my own walk with the Lord. I don’t know about you but I don’t always like to admit dependence or weakness. David’s psalms have shown me that my pride erects a barrier between me and God. Humility, on the other hand, brings me nigh unto Him. It is honest and transparent. Humility also brings merciful relief. What a comfort it is to admit my insufficiencies and leave ALL of my cares in the capable hands of God who cares for me and desires my best.
Oh Father…keep my need for you front and center in my heart. Remind me to boast in my weaknesses and take pleasure in my infirmities because when I am weak, You are strong. The eternal God is my refuge and underneath are His everlasting arms
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.—Isaiah 40:28-31
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.
I will cry out to God Most High,
To God who performs all things for me.
He shall send from heaven and save me;
He reproaches the one who would swallow me up.
Selah
God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
My soul is among lions;
I lie among the sons of men
Who are set on fire,
Whose teeth are spears and arrows,
And their tongue a sharp sword.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
They have prepared a net for my steps;
My soul is bowed down;
They have dug a pit before me;
Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen.
Selah
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
Awake, my glory!
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth—Psalm 57
