Have you ever wanted something really badly? I mean really, really, really badly? You will do anything in your power to get that desired thing. If you really want a certain house that is for sale, you might offer more than the listed price to get it. If you knew that there was a buried treasure of jewels in a certain general vicinity, you might spend every spare moment of your time, even for years, trying to locate it. If the desire is there, people will go to great lengths to get what they really want. Our psalm this week speaks of David’s great desire for something. Let’s take a look to see what it is.
Psalm 63 was written by David while he was in the wilderness of Judah, probably during the years when he was running for his life from King Saul. The southern parts of Judah, along with east of the Jordan River, were a barren wilderness. Some parts had large rocky outcroppings where one could hide, which is something David needed to do from King Saul’s murderous rage. One thing about a wilderness area is that there usually isn’t a great supply of water. Undoubtedly David knew what it was like to be very thirsty. Have you ever been really thirsty, perhaps to the point of passing out from thirst? All you can think about is getting a cool glass of water. David knew that feeling, and as he opens this psalm, he compares his longing and desire for God as being like one dying of thirst (vs. 1).
David told us that he sought out God “early”. David sought out God both early in his life, and also early in the day. When David was a young boy his father set him to work watching the family’s sheep. It was there, out in the pasture watching the flocks, that his relationship with God developed and grew. He was a believer early in his life. David also sought out God early in the daytime. Upon awakening every day he carved out some time to spend worshiping, praising, and praying to the Lord. His early moments were spent with the one he thirsted for.
What are some of the things that we prize the most, that we hold most dear, and would protect at all costs? Quite high on that list must be our own life. Just about everyone does what they can to keep themselves healthy and safe. Self-preservation is a strong instinct. However, in verse 3 we read that David prized God and His loving kindness better than his own life. Can we honestly say that we feel that way?
After a big meal, we can lean back from the table, feeling that we are satisfied. We are no longer hungry, and can't eat another bite. David described this as the feeling he had when he had spent quality time with the Lord (vs. 5). He felt like he had been dining on the choicest of foods. Some cultures find bone marrow to be a choice addition to a meal, along with the fat of meat, while others might not prefer that. The people of the ancient Middle East, though, prized that food, and to be well-satisfied after that meal would be a delight. Again, David wanted his time with the Lord to be that satisfying. Think of your favorite food, and eating a meal of that until you are well-fed. Do you find your relationship with God that satisfying?
David continued by telling how he meditated on God all through the night watches (vs. 6). Night watches is a reference to ancient military terms. The nighttime was divided into several, often three, watches, where the soldiers would take turns staying awake and guarding the city, fort, or army camp. If someone was awake for all the watches of the night, they were having a sleepless night. It happened to David on occasion, and has probably happened to all of us at one time or another. In those times, turn your thoughts to God in reflection, prayer, and worship.
God invites us to hold fast to Him (Deuteronomy 10:20; 13:4). David clung to God in unfailing commitment. No matter what the situation or where it leads, we need to follow God. We need to seek after Him just as earnestly as some dogs who will travel hundreds, or even thousands of miles to get back home to the family they love. No matter where we are, our desire should be for God, because only He can satisfy us fully.
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