Do we truly understand who Jesus is, and what He has done for us?
I ask this question because after hearing from the heart of David in the psalms I get a little uneasy. I get this strange feeling that I don’t have that same passion, that same desire. What is it about David that gives him the understanding to speak with such desperation. With such honest dependency? This psalm shows the kind of relationship that he had with God.
Consider Psalm 63:1-8
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.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips with praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
As I slow down time, pause and consider these words I find that they are laden with a passionate pursuit of closeness to God. David was filled with so many emotions and he lays them all at the feet of God. He has been chased down, running away from everything he knows, betrayed even by his own family, and death is on the forefront. He has lost the things that we would think would matter most to him, but this is not true. The one thing that gives him strength and courage to go on is God.
One of the things that amazes me in this psalm is that David goes to God with his troubles because he is confident that He is good. David desires closeness to God during this time of trouble, not trying to get away from Him. He doesn’t blame God for his situation or the circumstances surrounding it; rather, he seeks to pour his heart out at his feet. David goes to his Best Friend. His Father. His Refuge. His Comforter and Stronghold. He goes to His LORD! The only one who can save. David knows something that many of us have a tendency to miss out on…Intimacy with God.
Look at the imagery here: “my soul thirsts…my flesh faints for you”. David seeks after God because he knows what closeness to Him means, what it offers. David is aware that satisfying life is found in Him. So David comes with expectancy and confidence, praising God for all that He has done, and for all that He will do. Our fear is drowned out by the presence of God!
