Shalom,
Please begin by reading Psalm 63.
This is a psalm of David written when he was in the wilderness of Judah. The only times we know David was there was when he was on the run from King Saul, and again later from his son Absalom. In a lonely, arid land he cries out to Yahweh, the only One David knew who could save him and also satisfy the longings of his heart and soul. He satisfied the longing in his heart and soul by praising his Almighty God for the loyal love he poured out even in times of distress. David also shows the confidence and anticipation of a time when his enemies would be stopped.
In the midst of his troubles, David remembers Yahweh’s consistent protection in the past. He praises him for the provision he anticipates will come. He’s not hung up in his circumstances. He trusts that his Lord God will provide even when he can’t see how the rescue will come his way. He renews his trust by proclaiming the blessings of Yahweh’s future provisions.
Many of us spend much of our lives chasing the wind, getting caught up in worldly illusions of what’s truly important. We think that our longing for significance is only a desire for food, fame, fortune, fun, or whatever it is that inspires us. What we often miss is that this longing really is a hunger to know our heavenly Father. We chase cheap imitations of the real thing, all the while imagining how wonderful it will be to catch and hold on to these cheap imitations of the real. The truth is that only the Father, Son, and Spirit can truly provide what we need. Only they can protect us, save us, and fill the God-sized hole that dwells in the middle of all of us.
As blood-bought followers of Jesus the Christ, we’re to seek his presence earnestly and entirely. Knowing him and pleasing him should be our consuming passion. What too many people settle for is simply adopting some of the minor external requirements of Christianity because they believe their lives are too busy for a serious commitment. Instead of immersing ourselves into his ways and Word, we merely dabble on the fringes and feel self-satisfied at what we’re sacrificing to reach this limited position.
Given who and what Yahweh is, and what he has done for us, and what he is going to do for us; our only response should be to make knowing him, pleasing him, and finding deep satisfaction in our relationship with him the business of our lives. We tend to seek our Father in limited ways because we’re also seeking after position, power, possessions, pleasure, or whatever it is that entices us. What part of “Love the Lord your God with all…” do we misunderstand? What part of complete surrender have we missed when being told of what it takes to be a trust disciple of Jesus?
How do we get this level of passion for our Lord God? It’s actually simpler than most think. It begins with knowing who we really are, and knowing who Yahweh really is. We did all the sinning, Jesus did all the saving. Have we forgotten that we didn’t earn our salvation by some amazing act of piety? Have we forgotten that we needed the blood of Jesus to be set free from our sin? Have we lost sight of what a great gift the mercy of our Lord God is? Jesus said in Luke 7:47, “he who has been forgiven little loves little.” Paul Thigpen said it like this: “The secret of a passion for God is – the greater the debt, the greater the devotion.” We need to recognize the great and amazing gift we’ve received from the Father, Son, and Spirit. It should cause us to be greatly devoted to them.
In this psalm we should get the idea that believers make it a habit to praise their God. This praise involves recalling and retelling Yahweh’s mighty acts on our behalf. This praise involves realizing that Yahweh’s hand is actively present in our lives this very day. This praise should anticipate the wonderful acts yet to come from his hand. None of us is saved by our own accord. Nothing we do can accomplish the cleansing of our sins. Praise should easily flow from our lips when we remember the great salvation provided for us in the blood of Jesus.
We’ve forgotten about the primacy of praise. Many think that worship is an optional part of Christianity. If it’s snowing on Sunday morning or some friends invite us to go to lunch or the kids are being troublesome or many other excuses; we skip attending church. Our prayer lives too easily become endless repetitions of lists, or complaints about how our life is messed up. We’ve forgotten to praise Yahweh for his amazing attributes, his powerful acts of kindness and mercy, his pure and sweet love for us. We’ve forgotten to share with others the wondrous things our Lord has done to bless our lives. As a result our prayers and worship are a chore. At the worst these activities become boring and lifeless.
The Christians who know joy, peace, and confidence in their Lord are the ones who make praise a primary part of their lives. The Bible is filled from start to finish with praises. It’s filled with Yahweh’s mighty acts of blessing and deliverance for his people. Can you sing along to the radio when it’s tuned to a Christian station? Or can you only sing along to the secular station? What blesses you, songs which lift up the name of our Lord, or songs about humanistic subjects? If Christian music bores you, you had better reevaluate where you stand in Christ.
Thirsting and longing for our Lord God is a key here. How many of us in the Church today truly long for the presence of the Father, Son, and Spirit? I can say, not enough of us. Too many are longing for the wrong things. Too many are focused on worldly issues or pleasures instead of Kingdom issues and pleasures. This limits our ability to praise Yahweh because we’re too focused on earthly things which makes us blind to spiritual ones. If we hunger and thirst for our Lord God we’ll include praise in our lives automatically. It will be impossible for us not to because of our intense desire to be in his presence.
What does thirst for our God look like? Do you truly desire more and more of Jesus? One who hungers and thirsts for the presence of Jesus is promised to find it, to be ultimately satisfied in the depths of their soul. What kind of spiritual hunger is evident in our society and culture? Is there great thirst in our comfortable homes? What do the Samaritan women of our day look like coming to the well for water? Water is readily available to us in America, much more so than in many areas of the world. New York City gets its water – some of the best in the world – from deep lakes in the Catskill Mountains. Millions of people are being provided with good drinking water from hundreds of miles away.
New York City must have thousands of bars, stores, and restaurants. How can they be so thirsty for water from lakes in our region? The United States in general has abundant water, and most people can turn on the tap and drink right in their homes. But is our country thirsty for living water? We can be sure that people can’t live without water, but many try to survive without living water. Have you found the fountain of living water? Do you desire to immerse yourself in this fountain of living water? Are you drinking from it still today and also sharing it with as many people as you can? Once we’ve tasted of this living water, we should long for more and more and more.
This psalm also brings out David’s strong hope in the future because of his trust in Yahweh’s covenant faithfulness. Many today call it stepping out in faith, living by faith – not by sight. David expected deliverance from his enemies, not because of anything about himself, but because Yahweh had sworn to protect him. David had deep trust and faith in his Lord God Almighty. He had experienced deliverance in the past and accepted the fact that his Lord God was able to do it again. He had an experiential faith that sustained him even in dire circumstances. He praises Yahweh in advance for the deliverance to come because he knew his God never fails.
Paul reminds us in Romans that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:35-39). Jesus reminded us that in this world we’d have trouble, but not to fret because he’d overcome the world (John 16:33). He also told us he would never leave or forsake us (Heb 13:5). Job 13:15 says, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” There’s no other place we can run to where we can find eternal safety and security. There’s nothing in this world which can provide real security for the future.
Where does this kind of confidence in our Lord God Almighty come from? First, it comes from knowing that our Lord always has our best interests in mind. He loves us deeply and only wants to help us grow in faith and the knowledge of him. Second, it comes from knowing that there’s life after this one which our Father promises to bring us to. Even if we die in expressing our faith, our souls are totally safe and secure in him. Third, it comes from knowing Yahweh never fails. Be encouraged by Joshua’s words to Israel as he was leaving them in Josh 23:14. “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises Yahweh your God gave you has failed.”
What are you thirsty for? What or who are you trusting and finding your satisfaction in? We can do and pursue all kinds of things. But if they’re of this earth they’ll ultimately fail us and leave us thirsting again. Never forget the words of Jesus in Matt 6:19-21. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.”
Drink from the well of everlasting life. Take the living water that only Jesus can provide. Whether we’re in the physical desert of Judah or the spiritual wastelands found all around our world, there’s only one place to find help and satisfaction – in the Lord God who made Heaven and earth. Praise him now for he has done great things and will continue to do great things.
Blessings & Peace, Mike
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Blessings! I hope that this study has enlightened you or helped you in some way. Please feel free to leave a plain old comment, or a question. Comments are moderated to keep the peace