Scripture For Today: Psalm 63:1-11
“1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry
and thirsty land, where no water is;
2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
Psalms 63:1-5
Too many who profess Christ as their savior live lives that proclaim “God is not enough to satisfy me”. Their quiet communication to those around them is’ “I need God and….. to be happy”. This “God plus life” is a product or your choices not the inadequacy of God to satisfy you. Change your priorities and you will change your pursuits. Pursue God and you will be satisfied. David teaches us how to find complete satisfaction in this life.
“Make Christ the first priority in the daily activities of your life not just in your religious choices and Sunday morning activities, and you will find complete satisfaction in Him.”
This Psalm is the completion of David’s turning to God when he had been wandering in the dry wilderness of self centeredness. He has professed his trust in God in Psalm 61, His exclusive commitment to God as God in Psalm 62, and now we find him professing his need and declaring his priority concerning God in his life. First, he declares again that he has chosen the true and living God to be his only God. David says to God, I know I have gotten this out of place before but you God, are my only God, the ruler and most high of my life. Second, he declares his priority as God is concerned. He says “early will I seek thee” in Psalm 63:1. Early does not just refer to the hour of the day but it speaks of his priority, God will be the first one he seeks in all things, God will be his first priority. Third, he speaks of his need and pursuit of God. He uses the picture of being in a dry land with no water and regardless of how he tries he can not find water to satisfy his need. Life without an intimate relationship with God becomes parched and unsatisfying, and no matter where you look you can not find satisfaction for your soul. When God is sought as the only God and first priority of your life, He will be found. Jeremiah records God’s promise; “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13. When God is sought and found, He satisfies you; “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:…” Psalm 63:5. When you set God in first place in your life He will be found and He will satisfy you to the point where you will be constantly desiring and pursuing a still greater and deeper relationship with Him; “My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.” Psalm 63:8. Those who, because of the priority concerning God in their life, know God best, want to know God more, they thirst for more of Him. Those who follow God the closest are satisfied by Him and labor to follow Him more closely. When God is just another priority in your life you will soon not be satisfied in Him. When you are not satisfied you will elevate other things to being equal with Him and you will allow Him to become the second or third priority in your life. When God is not your first and lasting priority He will no longer satisfy you, and He will slip further into the shadows of your life.
The priorities of your life produce your pursuits, and they are a choice you make. If you are not fully satisfied in your walk with God, then you need to examine the priorities in your life. Is God the first priority in your life in real living or do you live a life where you need God plus something else to be satisfied? When God is the first priority in every area of your life then God plus nothing will satisfy your deepest needs and desires. An easy test to find out if God is the first priority in your life is this: Check what your are pursuing and what do you “need” in your life. Make Christ the first priority in the daily activities of your life not just in your religious choices and Sunday morning activities, and you will find complete satisfaction in Him.