Psalm 63: Lessons Learned Waiting in the Wilderness

Judean Wilderness, Photo: Greg K. Dueker

When we experience God’s goodness, even while waiting in the wilderness, there are some lessons we should learn or be reminded of. Times of hardship and testing are for the purpose of preparing us for the purpose God has ordained. Their instruction sets us up for the win. However, we have to be attuned to their message.

As our trust in Christ Jesus is strengthened, there are at least seven simple lessons/reminders expressed in this psalm that, if implemented, will be a blessing to us and to those we share life with. I will briefly describe those that I have noticed.

1. Realize that we thirst for God more than water (v.1)

Oneonta Falls, Photo Cliff Fahey

Amid wandering in the arid wilderness, trying to avoid the psycho King Saul, David had used his physical thirst as a metaphor and shifted his longing to the Lord rather than mere water. When his mighty men snuck into the enemy camp to draw water from the well of his hometown, David was overwhelmed and poured it out to the Lord. The situation depicted here in Psalm 63 is likely from a time later in his life when he fled from his rebellious son, Absalom. He knows what it is to be thirsty, to have his body faint with longing. His heart's desire was not to be returned to Jerusalem but to be in the presence of God. He emphasizes dehydration imagery to convey his urgency. For followers of Jesus, the bottom line is that we need Jesus more than anything else!

Sometimes, when all our physical needs are met, we realize that we are still thirsty. The things of this world may promise much, but they can never quench our thirst for God. It is no accident that, at the very end of the Bible, the Spirit and the Bride invite those who are thirsty to come and drink!

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (Rev. 22:17)

2. Recognize that His love is better than anything else.

When we see God as he really is, and how he has shown his goodness in our lives, we can proclaim with David, “Your steadfast love is better than life!” (v.2-3) Jesus later taught that if we love our life more than following Jesus, then we will lose it.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matt. 16:24-26)

Why would we willingly lay down our lives to follow Christ? Only one answer suffices; it is not a result of impressive willpower on our part but because we are convinced, on a heart-level, that his love is better on every level than the love we might seek elsewhere.

3. Respond in worshipful obedience even before the situation resolves.

What does the psalmist mean when he declares, “In your name will I lift up my hands…” (v.4)? Is this referring to his exuberant religious expression in the sanctuary, or does this mean that whatever he lifts his hands to perform will be done in a way consistent with the name(s) of God? It is both. Certainly, His power and love cause me to praise him! However, to “lift up my hands” is not just raising them when singing in church, but referring to everything I do being in accordance with God's name/character. Some weeks, this is a tall order to fill, but the more I know Him, the more I desire my life to align with his name.

4. Remember that complete satisfaction is found in the Lord.

A Wedding Feast, 2022.
Photo: Greg K. Dueker

As I am writing this post, we have just come through Thanksgiving and are now celebrating
Christmas, and there is lots of feasting! However, as satisfying as it is to spend time with friends and family and eat a lot of rich food, I have to agree with the psalmist about the location of true satisfaction.

“My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food” (v.5) is aptly appropriate for this Christmas season. We tend to eat more than we should during this time of year, and with the busyness, we spend less time in the Word than normal. Yet, my heart knows from experience that it is in the Lord where I find complete satisfaction. Everything else over-promises and under-delivers. In Christ, all the promises of God find their yes. As it is written,

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (2 Cor. 1:20-22)

5. Review His goodness to us regularly (v.6-7)

In the phrase, “when I remember you upon my bed” (v.6), our thoughts drift towards the Lord even as we drift towards sleep, for he has been our help (v.7). Do we think about God not just when we get up in the morning but also when we lie down? It is helpful to use those quiet moments to review his goodness to us in both large and small ways each day. Gratitude is therapeutic as well as good manners. 

For those whose situation leaves them up and unable to sleep, it is comforting to direct our thoughts towards our sweet Savior. As Derek Kidner commented,

“If the wilderness of verse 1 sharpened his appetite for God, his wakefulness through the watches of the night (an expression which stresses the slow progress of the hours) enlisted time and thought for the same Lord.”[1]

What could be a better use of time in those hours when sleep is elusive?

6. Remain in His presence and cling to Him (v.8)

Raphael's Healing of the Beggar (1515)

My soul clings to you;
    your right hand upholds me.

Verse 8 reminds me of the narrative in Acts 3, where Peter and John healed a lame beggar and lifted him from the ground. After the healed man walked, leaped, and praised God, he clung to Peter and John. So why do we cling? Is it because we are so filled with gratitude that we must express it, or is it because we are afraid of having to stand on our own? I want to be filled with gratitude more than with fear. Yet, Jesus Christ is certainly the One who holds us up and keeps us from falling each day.

7. Refocus on the Big Picture

But those who seek to destroy my life
            shall go down into the depths of the earth;
    they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
    they shall be a portion for jackals. (vv.9-10)

We need to refocus on the big picture and take the larger perspective to heart. What are the ends to which we are headed? David, though at the time of writing was a fugitive and political refugee, looked at the future end of his enemies and saw their death (by the sword) and the grave (or eaten by jackals scavenging their unburied bodies) as their certain end.[2] In that culture, as in most, “for a body to be left unburied was a dreaded misfortune.”[3]

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

After which his mood rebounded as he reiterated that his joy was in God’s faithfulness and that eventually all lies would stop (i.e., when the liars are silenced). In a way, David was saying that those who live by the sword will be stopped by the sword of judgment, and likewise, those who live by the lie would be silenced by the sword of truth.

But the king shall rejoice in God;
    all who swear by him shall exult,
    for the mouths of liars will be stopped. (v.11)

Does v.11 encourage us to tell the truth? I hope so!

In troubling times, whether we face active threats or are simply waiting in the wilderness for God's direction and deliverance, let us make this ancient Psalm of Confidence our own and put its simple declarations into practice… just in time for the New Year!

---

[1] Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72, 229.

[2] [Jackals] are the final scavengers, consuming the remains of the kill rejected by larger beasts. The wicked are, in other words, the very leavings of mankind. [G. S. Cansdale, Animals of the Bible, pp. 124-126. Quoted by Kidner in his commentary on this psalm.

[3] Marvin E. Tate, WBC Psalms 51-100, p. 128.

A Season of Thankfulness (Part 5)

This is Day 5 in our 5 Days of Thankful Preparation…Thanksgiving Day is here!

I am thankful that my family got to spend time together today and as part of our celebration of thanks, we drew some of these verses out of a jar and shared them with each other. I was blessed by some of the responses.

My hope is that this sequenced release of verses this week has helped to tenderize our hearts with thankfulness and re-center our view of God’s loving care for us.

With each of the following five passages from the Psalms, take time to read it out loud, and then after you finish it, ask two simple questions…

• How does this passage reveal God’s goodness?

• What can I learn from this passage about my gratefulness?

Psalm 118:19-21

Open to me the gates of righteousness,    that I may enter through them
    and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
    the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
    and have become my salvation.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 138:1-3

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;

    before the gods I sing your praise;

I bow down    toward your holy temple

    and give thanks to your name 
                             for your steadfast love 
                           and your faithfulness,

    for you have exalted above all things

                                  your name and your word.

On the day I called,   you answered me;

   my strength of soul you increased.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 140:12-13

I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,

    and will execute justice for the needy.

Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;

    the upright shall dwell in your presence.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 142:6-7

Attend to my cry,

    for I am brought very low!

Deliver me from my persecutors,

    for they are too strong for me!

Bring me out of prison,

    that I may give thanks to your name!

The righteous will surround me,

    for you will deal bountifully with me.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 145:9-12

The Lord is good to all,

    and his mercy is over all that he has made.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,

    and all your saints shall bless you!

They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom

    and tell of your power,

to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,

    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Here are just a few of my own answers to the questions asked above:

• Psalm 118… God, in his goodness, answers our prayers. He makes us righteous. Gratitude is an act of righteousness, for we know we are not able to save ourselves, but we have put our faith in the Lord to do what we cannot do.

• Psalm 138… We should be moved to wholehearted thankfulness for God’s wholehearted commitment to keeping his promises and showing his loving kindness to us.

• Psalm 140… God is just towards everyone, not just the powerful and privileged. My gratitude for God’s deliverance will pay it forward to the afflicted.

• Psalm 142… God’s goodness inspires us to hope that he will help…and he does. Gratitude recognizes that God will always deal bountifully with me, so I can deal bountifully with others.

• Psalm 145… Because what God does is good, his works will inspire gratitude to the Lord in our hearts. He invites us to share in his glory, power, and kingdom! Let us enter in by faith!

Happy Thanksgiving from our gathering to yours!

A Season of Thankfulness (Part 4)

This is Day 4 in our "5 Days of Thankful Preparation".

Now, as we travel home, or out of town, to be with friends and family, our gratitude can be tested by traffic, turkey drama, and terrible weather.

It is in exactly such moments that we need to break into our supply of psalms to give us the words of thankfulness with which to lead our hearts into the love of our faithful Savior!

My hope is that this sequenced release of verses this week will tenderize our hearts with thankfulness and re-center our view of God’s loving care for us.

With each of the following passages from the Psalms, take time to read it out loud, and then after you finish it, ask yourself two simple questions…

1. How does this passage reveal God’s goodness?
2. What can I learn from this passage about my gratefulness?

Psalm 106:47

Save us, O Lord our God,
    and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
    and glory in your praise.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 107:1

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 108:2-4

Awake, O harp and lyre!

    I will awake the dawn!

    I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

    I will sing praises to you among the nations.

For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;

    your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 109:30-31

With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
    I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
    to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 111:1-3

Praise the Lord!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,

    in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

Great are the works of the Lord,

    studied by all who delight in them.

Full of splendor and majesty is his work,

    and his righteousness endures forever. (also 118:1-3, 29; 135:1-3)

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Here are just a few of my own answers to the questions asked above:

• Psalm 106... God’s goodness is committed to saving and gathering his people into a relationship with him and each other. When we pray, do we ask for help so that we will have one more reason to give thanks?

• Psalm 107... Some things are worth repeating because they are important, and sometimes because we are so quick to forget the important stuff. This is one I am thankful is repeated at least 45 times in the Old Testament!

• Psalm 108... God’s goodness permeates all of creation, and when we see it, we can’t keep it to ourselves. Sometimes, expressing gratitude with our words and deeds even gets us out of bed in the morning!

• Psalm 109… God’s goodness is not far away—he stands next to the needy to save them from those who condemn. So, we stand together to worship the Lord, for our gratitude is too great not to be spoken publicly!

• Psalm 111… The more we study the works of the Lord, the more we see the splendor and majesty with which they are infused. He leaves behind an enduring DNA of uprightness. Great work deserves our wholehearted gratitude, not just a “golf clap”.

A Season of Thankfulness (Part 3)

This is Day 3 in our 5 Days of Thankful Preparation. I hope you are reading these few verses along with me! I wonder how these verses are directing your heart and attitude this week? 

If you are like so many, the stress level can rise significantly with commutes lengthened, not to mention any out-of-town travel (oops, I mentioned it—Portland International Airport expects 67,000 passengers just tomorrow!), shopping, cooking, trying to create lasting memories, etc. I can either get caught up in the madness, adding my own thrashing about to the storm, or allow the oil of gratitude to calm some of the troubled waters around me for the good of others.

My hope is that this sequenced release of verses this week will tenderize our hearts with thankfulness and re-center our view of God's loving map of our life.

With each of the following passages from the Psalms, take time to read it out loud, and then after you finish reading it, ask two simple questions…

1. How does this passage reveal God’s goodness?
2. What can I learn from this passage about my gratefulness?

Psalm 92:1-4

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, 

    to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
    and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
    to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
    at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 95:1-3

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 97:11-12

Light is sown for the righteous,

    and joy for the upright in heart.

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,

    and give thanks to his holy name!

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 100:3-5

Know that the Lord, he is God!

    It is he who made us, and we are his;

    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

    and his courts with praise!

    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;

    his steadfast love endures forever,

    and his faithfulness to all generations.

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 105:1-3

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;

    make known his deeds among the peoples!

Sing to him, sing praises to him;

    tell of all his wondrous works!

Glory in his holy name;

    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Psalm 106:1-3

Praise the Lord!

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

    for his steadfast love endures forever!

Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord,

    or declare all his praise?

Blessed are they who observe justice,

    who do righteousness at all times!

His goodness?

My gratefulness?

Here are just a few of my own answers to the questions asked above:

Psalm 92… Thankful living starts the day trusting in God’s love and ends it by rehearing his faithfulness throughout my day. Noticing what God does should produce joy and gladness. My thankfulness is a good response to the steadfast goodness that God shows to me.

Psalm 95... The goodness of the Lord exceeds that of anything or anyone else we might be tempted to worship. I should have a word of thankful praise on my lips when I meet God—not because he demands it, but because (1) He delivered me, and (2) I get to meet the Lord! Wow!

Psalm 97… It is the goodness of God that lightens my soul, enabling me to rejoice instead of cowering in fear at my circumstances. It is a sign that things are right in my life when I rejoice in God and am thankful for everything about him.

Psalm 100… While I may not like being compared to a sheep, God’s goodness gives me a place to belong (we are his people!) and to celebrate the gift of his steadfast love. Because God doesn’t change, he remains faithful to all generations.

Psalm 105… Gratitude is more than saying thanks in the moment of enjoyment, it involves remembrance—a calling to mind of past expressions of his goodness—and declaring them thankfully! God is not a killjoy, but rather the source of all joy!

Psalm 106… The goodness of God’s love doesn’t end, and if we had eyes to see everything he does for us, neither would we be able to express all the praise in response. One way I can show gratitude is to live justly and do what is right for all we encounter.

[This is also posted on my Our Long View blog.]

A Season for Thankfulness (Part 1)

This 5-part series is also posted on my pastoral blog, Our Long View.

The Psalms have provided the language of worship for God’s people for thousands of years. As we have seen, they express the whole range of human emotions (rising out of a diverse set of circumstances) and process those emotions through the character of the Lord.

This week is the time we have set aside in the United States to give thanks to God for his goodness to us—not because we deserve it, but because we need it. Very little Biblical gratitude arises out of material wealth and prosperity, but out of remembering a desperate need for God’s deliverance and his faithfulness to answer that need. Recent studies on PTSD have shown that those who go through traumatic experiences and are most resilient to their negative effects are those who choose to focus on thankfulness for what they have rather than focusing on anger or fear in the face of what they may have lost or nearly lost. 

I have compiled a fairly complete list of verses from the Psalms that express human gratitude to the Lord God and will post a few each day this week for your devotional reading. Gratitude is one spiritual practice at which we need more practice.

May we not gather primarily for a football game or turkey and potatoes and pie, but to celebrate the faithfulness of God and to share his goodness with our family and friends.

My hope is that this sequenced release of verses this week will tenderize our hearts with thankfulness and re-center our view of God's loving map of our life.

With each of the following passages, take time to read it out loud, and then, after reading it, ask two simple questions…

1.       How does this passage reveal God’s goodness?
2.       What can I learn from this passage about my gratefulness? 

Psalm 7:17

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
    and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

• His goodness?
• My gratefulness?

Psalm 9:1-2

Photo by Alex Woods on Unsplash

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

    I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;

    I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

• His goodness?
• My gratefulness?

Psalm 28:6-8

Blessed be the Lord!
    For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
       in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
                  my heart exults,
    and with my song I give thanks to him.

The Lord is the strength of his people;
            he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

• His goodness?
• My gratefulness?

Psalm 30:3-5

O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,    but joy comes with the morning.

• His goodness?
• My gratefulness?

Psalm 33:1-3

Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

• His goodness?
• My gratefulness?

Here are just a few of the answers to the questions asked above:

• Psalm 7... We should be thankful that God is righteous and not corrupt like worldly powers.
• Psalm 9... Grateful people take the time to remember and retell the good things that God has done for them.
• Psalm 30... Gratitude confesses how messed up we were inside before God’s love rescued us.
• Psalm 28... My enthusiastic gratitude expresses my adoration for a strong salvation.
• Psalm 33... Music lends itself to expressing thanks to the Lord. Gratitude is expressed joyfully through diverse creativity.