Mid-June our ladies Bible Group group reflected on PSALM 63, with its rich imagery and strong verbs. I was moved by David’s ability to use his physical circumstances (in the Desert of Judah) to inform his poetry. The theme of dry and parched established in the beginning (v.1) finds a resolution in v. 5 where the psalmist speaks of (true) satisfaction. Note that the act of praising God is an important catalyst. It is our connection with our loving, powerful, generous God that gets us through.
Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
Follow up #1
Some weeks later we used the words of Psalm 63 (arranged in alphabetical order) in a writing exercise.
This is what I wrote:
Remember being dry
Remember being satisfied
Those who cling to God
find the power to praise him
even when parched
even in the depths
by Irene Bom
Follow up #2
Since last week I have been chalking the word “remember” in different parts of the city of Rotterdam and have inspired and equipped others to do the same in their neighbourhoods.
Further reading
Also on the theme of water (theme of the month): The wells of salvation and Quiet near a little stream