From the Nightstand: Psalm 63
Psalm 63 is written from a place of betrayal. If you look at the first verse (in the Hebrew Bible, the superscript is verse 1) it reads “A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAH.” David spent much of his young life in the wilderness called En Gedi. But there was only one time in his life was he in the Wilderness of Judah: when he was on the run from his own son. David’s oldest son, Absalom, hated David. David turned a blind eye when Absalom’s sister was raped. Absalom never forgot. When opportunity came Absalom usurped David’s throne, turned the nation against David, and ran David out of his own home. A civil war ensued. It is in this time of his life, on the run from his own son, that David writes Psalm 63.
63 A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAH.
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.
As you read, which verse strikes you? Take a moment to meditate on that verse and pray it back to God. Why does that verse strike you? How does it speak clearly to your life and current circumstances?
A friend brought this passage to my attention. What struck me was verse 3 “your steadfast love is better than life.” I struggle with anxiety. My anxiety focuses on the end of life and the fear of not-existing. This verse speaks so clearly to my deepest fear. God’s love is greater than any life that I have now. Because His love for me is so great I never need to fear. God is the source of life and through his love I have access to abundant, eternal life. Even in my deepest fears God’s love is greater.
