If you attend a church that participates in Lent, you may hear certain readings at the Sunday services that take place during the Easter season. Since Lent is a beautiful time of reflection for Christians around the globe, it provides us an opportunity to look at various scriptures in the light of Christ’s crucifixion and glorious resurrection. Many churches read Psalm 63 as a part of their services for the third Sunday of Lent. Even though it does not explicitly discuss the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it provides any foundational truths that we can cling to since we are armed with the knowledge that Jesus arose victoriously over death on the first Easter Sunday. Meditate on these verses as we take a deeper look at the 63rd Psalm.
Psalm 63 is a Psalm of praise. Instead of focusing on enemies, family troubles and the other issues that David so often faced, David penned this Psalm as a praise offering to God. For many of us, this year’s Easter season may not look like any other that we have ever celebrated. With a global pandemic continuing to wreak havoc around the world, economic uncertainty and more, it’s easy to become focused on our problems more than our Provider. Allow the words that David wrote in the following Psalm to become the cry of your heart as God shifts your focus from the chaos of daily life to the power that He made available to us through the resurrection of His Son.
Psalm 63:1 (TPT)
O God of my life, I’m lovesick for you in this weary wilderness. I thirst with the deepest longings to love you more, with cravings in my hart that can’t be described. Such yearning grips my soul for you, my God!
Lent allows us the opportunity to renew our commitment to seeking God. While we are encouraged to seek God every day, Lent provides us the chance to create habits that will shape our lives for the next year. David described his “thirst” and his “craving” to get closer to God. You and I should mirror that desire in our own lives as we seek to draw closer to God.
Psalm 63:2 (TPT)
I’m energized every time I enter your heavenly sanctuary to seek more of your power and drink in more of your glory.
As you commit yourself to earnestly seeking God’s presence during this Lenten season, your spirit will become renewed. In Psalm 63:2, David compares it to becoming “energized.” In modern church language, we call this a season of “revival.” Whatever we choose to refer to a season of seeking God more intensely, the fact remains that it encourages us in the Lord as we focus on His promise and His power in our lives.
Psalm 63:3-4 (TPT)
For your tender mercies mean more to me than life itself. How I love and praise you, God. Daily I will worship you passionately and with all my heart. My arms will wave to you like banners of praise.
What David isn’t saying is nearly as important as what he is saying in these verses. David, a man who experienced a great deal of trouble in his life, isn’t asking God for anything in Psalm 63. Instead, he is solely focused on offering God praise. While we are certainly encouraged to “make our requests known to God” (Philippians 4:6), it is also important that we spend time every day simply thanking Him for His goodness in our lives. David had seen the goodness of God, and because of God’s goodness, David simply took an opportunity to praise Him.
Psalm 63:5 (TPT)
I overflow with praise when I come before you, for the anointing of your presence satisfies me like nothing else. You are such a rich banquet of pleasure to my soul.
How do we reach the point of “overflowing with praise?” A great place to start is with the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ resurrection. Don’t just skim over the verses, truly read them and meditate on them. Reflect on the punishment that He endured to offer us the salvation we desperately needed. Read and meditate on each Gospel author’s account of the resurrection. It won’t take long before you begin to find yourself overflowing with praise when you let the powerful story of our Savior’s victory over death permeate your soul.
Psalm 63:6-7 (TPT)
I lie awake each night thinking of you and reflecting on how you help me like a father. I sing through the night under your splendor-shadow, offering up to you my songs of delight and joy!
David couldn’t stop thinking about the goodness of God in his own life. Instead of losing sleep while worrying about the troubles of his life, David lost sleep reflecting on God’s grace and mercy. Oh, that we could be like David! It’s easy to become so hyper-focused on the issues facing our world, especially when we seem to be bombarded with bad news on every hand, that we lose sleep over them. When thoughts of fear concerning your current situations flood your mind, shift your focus. Take control of the thoughts in your head and point them towards the empty tomb of Jesus Christ. It was there that the ultimate victory was won, ensuring that we do not have to fear anything that goes on in this world.
Psalm 63:8 (TPT)
With passion I pursue and cling to you. Because I feel your grip on my life, I keep my soul close to your heart.
Lent is about our pursuit of God. Through fasting, prayer, church attendance, private study, worship and a commitment to doing good works, we seek a closer relationship with God. Pursuit is intentional. We don’t accidentally pursue a closer walk with God; it requires a purposeful commitment. As we continue our Lenten journey, make sure that you are intentional with your time as you pursue even more of God’s presence in your life.
Psalm 63:9-11(TPT)
Those who plot to destroy me shall descent into the darkness of hell. They will be consumed by their own evil and become nothing more than dust under our feet. These liars will be silenced forever! But with the anointing of a king I will dance and rejoice along with all his lovers who trust in him.
David’s psalm of praise and worship didn’t ignore the presence of enemies, but he didn’t even mention them until the end. Why? Because his enemies weren’t his priority. This Psalm wasn’t about needing strength to fight off an angry army of enemies; it was about a child of God living in relentless pursuit of his Maker. David committed the responsibility of defeating his enemies to God. 1 Corinthians 15:26 teaches us that “the last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” Death is an enemy that we have absolutely no power over. However, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the most feared enemy that humanity has ever faced will be defeated and will be “nothing more than dust under our feet.”
Before you pray this closing prayer, take a minute and write down some of the great things God has done in your life. In a literal sense, count your blessings. Reflect on times that God has healed you or someone close to you. Think about times He has provided for you, protected you and brought miracles into your life.
A Closing Prayer:
God, as I look at this list of things that you’ve done in my life, I am humbled. I am humbled because I know that I did nothing to earn any of them, but You blessed me anyway. Father, I thank you for your constant stream of blessings in my life. I don’t have to look far to find examples in my life of Your goodness. From the bottom of my heart, thank You for all of those. In the business of life, I take some of these things for granted, but I am eternally grateful for every good thing in my life and I know that they all come from you. God, I want to be more intentional in my pursuit of you. Even once this Lenten season has ended, help me to pursue you even more than I ever have before, constantly recognizing Your goodness in my life. In Christ’s name, Amen!