Why We Should Seek God

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Scripture: Psalm 63:1-4 (ESV)

1  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.

  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;

in your name I will lift up my hands.

 

Devotion:

           

            Today, we continue the theme of seeking after God. Here David, the psalmist, writes a beautiful song about seeking God with our whole being. David affirms that if we seek after God, we will find him. Our seeking must be sincere and involve our total commitment to finding God. We must long after God with all of who we are body, mind, and soul. We must seek Him with all of our being, like a lover seeks the beloved.

 

            David recalls seeing God in the sanctuary. Since the temple was not even built yet we are unsure about the precise location of this sanctuary, but David seems intimately aware of where it is. David sees God’s power and glory displayed there and it leaves him in complete awe and wonder. David knows God’s steadfast love personally he responds with praise. The Hebrew word translated “steadfast love” is Chesed which is hard to translate directly into English. It gives the picture of a love that overcomes any obstacle to reach out to the beloved.

 

            David is moved to praise this wonderful God. He responds to the chesed of God as best he can with words of worship and praise. He continues that theme of praise throughout all eleven verses that make up this psalm. Listen to David’s words of praise to God. Use them as your prayer throughout the day.

5  My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,

and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

  6     when I remember you upon 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 will 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 a portion 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.

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