Psalm 63

0 A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.
1  O God, you are my God, 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.
2  So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
  beholding your power and glory.
3  Because your steadfast love is better than life,
  my lips will praise you.
4  So I will bless you as long as I live;
  I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
5  My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
  and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
6  when I think of you on my bed,
  and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7  for you have been my help,
  and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
8  My soul clings to you;
  your right hand upholds me.
9  But those who seek to destroy my life
  shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10  they shall be given over to the power of the sword,
  they shall be prey for jackals.
11  But the king shall rejoice in God;
  all who swear by him shall exult,
  for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

Daily Prayer (based on Psalm 63:1)

Sometimes, Lord, I can almost feel my thirst for You, as if You were literal water for my parched body. As strange as it seems, I thank You for those times, because then I realize how much I need You. I see again how empty life is without You. I want You more than anything or anyone else.

And then You quench my thirst, not always at once, but always in Your time. You give me the peace that comes only from Your presence. You reassure me in a way no one else can.

Postscript

When I think of being thirsty for God, I remember a hike I once did to Condor Peak in the Angeles National Forest of Southern California. Some friends and I went out for a relatively short eight-mile hike, but got carried away when we saw the potential of hiking to the top of Condor Peak. The problem was that we had very little water with us, and the return trip was in bright sun on a hot day, with almost no shade. We ended up trudging along a difficult trail for hours without a bit of water. Dehydration was a legitimate fear. When we finally returned to our cars, after hiking almost twenty miles, we raced to the nearest convenience store. Never in my life has watered tasted more wonderful. (The highest mountain in the picture to the left is Condor Peak. If you go there, bring plenty of water!!)

Share Your Comments, Prayers, or Questions on Psalm 63

If you would like to add a comment, prayer, or question concerning this psalm, click here. Note: whatever you write is public, and may be read by others or used on this website in the future. To go to the main Comments page, click here.

Send Today's Daily Psalm to a Friend

Click here to e-mail a link to this page to a friend.

Copyright Information

Except for the Scripture text, all material of The Daily Psalm Copyright © 2006 by Mark D. Roberts

Note: You may download the contents of The Daily Psalm at no cost, for personal use or for use in a Christian ministry, as long as you are not publishing them for sale. All I ask is that you give credit where credit is due. For all other uses, please contact me at mark@markdroberts.com. Thank you.

The Scripture text used in The Daily Psalm is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved