Insights From The Desert

Psalm 63:1-5

A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.

1O 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 to me than life itself;

how I praise you!

4I will honor you as long as I live,

lifting up my hands to you in prayer.

5You satisfy me more than the richest of foods.

I will praise you with songs of joy.

Psalm 63 was written “regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.” The Bible mentions his being there twice—first running from his predecessor, Saul, and later running from his son, the rebellious Absalom. But the first time he wasn’t king yet, as verse 11 suggests (see tomorrow’s reading), so this must have been written regarding his escape from Absalom.

In these verses we learn about a trait of David’s that his son lacked. Absalom was an angry young man—first wreaking vengeance on his half-brother Amnon, then nursing a grudge against his father. He wanted more than he got, and that irked him. But in this psalm we see that David found satisfaction in God, whose love was “better to [him] than life itself.” Even in the desert, temporarily toppled from his throne, David could sing praises.

Another interesting insight about this psalm regards David’s comment that his soul thirsts for God. The Judean desert is oppressively dry and difficult terrain, with many canyons, crags, and caves. You can find shade from the sun, but in the dry season you can’t find water. The arid air sucks up your perspiration, and your whole body gets thirsty. Perhaps this is the kind of thirst David was speaking about in verse 1.

Which do you resemble most—the father or the son? And does your soul thirst for God as David described?

Better than life itself thy love,

Dearer than all beside to me;

For whom have I in heaven

Or what on earth, compared with thee?

JAMES MONTGOMERY

Notable Quotable

“Our misery is that we thirst so little for these sublime things, and so much for the mocking trifles of time and space.”

CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON