Psalm 63: Is Your Soul Thirsty? You Need to Earnestly Seek God

Having grown up Catholic, I was never taught to seek God. I was taught rites, rituals, rules and regulations that led me to an empty, nowhere life. Hence, when I turned 18 and went off to college, I left the Catholic Church and never looked back. However, I was looking for love in all the wrong places, which also led me to an empty, nowhere life.

In this psalm, King David is hiding the desert feeling from his son Absalom, he is literally thirsty and he has nowhere to turn to but to God. I’ve had a few moments like that in my life — times when I was stuck and had nowhere to turn to but to seek God. You can listen to my testimony by clicking on the video on the right.

Let’s dig in…

Psalm 63

O God, you are my God;
    I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
    my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
    where there is no water.
²I have seen you in your sanctuary
    and gazed upon your power and glory.
³Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
    how I praise you!
⁴I will praise you as long as I live,
    lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
⁵You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
    I will praise you with songs of joy.

⁶I lie awake thinking of you,
    meditating on you through the night.
⁷Because you are my helper,
    I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
⁸I cling to you;
    your strong right hand holds me securely.

⁹But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin.
    They will go down into the depths of the earth.
¹⁰They will die by the sword
    and become the food of jackals.
¹¹But the king will rejoice in God.
    All who swear to tell the truth will praise him,
    while liars will be silenced.
Psalm 63 NLT

Let’s Unpack This

Pastor Sandy Adams explains what’s going on in David’s life…

The Judean wilderness is one of the driest and most barren places on the planet. Temperatures reach 120-125 degrees – with no shade. The only relief from the hot sands is early in the morning.That’s when David seeks God.

It’s been said, “Man can live 40 days without food, 3 days without water, about 8 minutes without air – but not a single second without God.” As David describes the barren desert, he could just as easily be talking about our world. Today’s materialistic wasteland and dried up spirituality leave people hungry and thirsty for more. Only God can satisfy us.

David had left his palace, and harem, and throne, and city – but the only thing he longs to return to is the sanctuary and the presence of God.

David was king! He’d experienced a lot of life… Extravagance, pleasure, excitement, adventure, and fame – and none of it held a candle to one drink of God’s goodness.

Voltaire, the French infidel, liked to mock God. He said wars were won by force, not faith. He scoffed, “God is on the side of the big battalions.” David would’ve disagreed. Without God’s intervention he stood little chance of regaining his kingdom, but David trusted in the Lord. The only way Absalom could steal David’s throne was to knock God off His throne.
Pastor Sandy Adams

See, God made David a promise which is found in 1 Samuel 23. He knows he is God’s anointed one to lead Israel at that time. That’s why his son, Absalom, no matter what he schemed, could never kick David of the throne.

How Does Jesus Fit In?

Now, I turn to the folks at Spoken Gospel…

Jesus is God’s final promised King. But like David, he also experienced desert thirst while his reputation was vilified for no reason. His enemies hunted him and scorned him all the way to his death. But like David hoped, God’s power and love raised him up and back to his throne (Ephesians 1:18-20).

God’s love is stronger than death. And Jesus is better than life because he now offers eternal protection and satisfaction to his people, no matter their reputation (John 17:3).Jesus is also quenching water to those who feel deserted and outcast.

Once, Jesus comforted a woman whose thirst was a symbol for her need for God. For generations, she and her people had scanned the wasteland for signs of God’s coming (John 4:20, 25). She knew, her greatest need was God’s presence, and Jesus came to meet it. He offered water that would quench her deepest desire — to see God’s glory and beautiful love for her, an outcast (John 4:7). Jesus’ presence slaked her thirst better than any spring.

Jesus is a strong protector for the outcast and the outlaw. Jesus’ sword will serve up the bodies of our enemies (Revelation 19:21). He will silence the deceit of liars (Revelation 20:2-3). And give his people life after death. Jesus is also loving, living water to those in need. Like David imagined, Jesus will soon host us at his wedding feast and satisfy us with the richest portions of his love (Revelation 19:9).
Spoken Gospel

What about you? Are you…

Thirsty? Seeking something or someone to fill the hole in your heart? Spiritually malnourished? Tired of empty religious rituals that lead you nowhere?

Jesus said…

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 NLT

The Prophet Isaiah wrote — and this is God Himself speaking in this first passage…

“Who made these things known so long ago?
    What idol ever told you they would happen?
Was it not I, the Lord?
    For there is no other God but me,
a righteous God and Savior.
    There is none but me.”

Seek the Lord while you can find him.
    Call on him now while he is near.
Isaiah 45:21, 55:6 NLT

Additionally, Luke chronicled in the Book of Acts what Peter said to the core group of early church leaders in Jerusalem…

As it is written:

¹⁶‘Afterward I will return
    and restore the fallen house of David.
I will rebuild its ruins
    and restore it,
¹⁷so that the rest of humanity might seek the Lord,
    including the Gentiles—
    all those I have called to be mine.
The Lord has spoken—
¹⁸he who made these things known so long ago.’
Acts 15:15b-18 NLT