Introduction
This is the word of the Lord,
Psalm 63 NASB95
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
3 Because Your lovingkindness 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 in Your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
6 When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
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 my life to destroy it,
Will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They will be delivered over to the power of the sword;
They will be a prey for foxes.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him will glory,
For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.
Let us pray.
Psalm 118:24 NASB95
24This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
The ordination of an elder is a sacred and weighty moment, both for the man being set apart and for the church that he will serve. It is a very important day in the history of our church. After a decade of having only one pastor, our small congregation is now ordaining another. And it is my privilege to lead this charge and welcome Ashok formally into this office to share the burden of shepherding this church with me.
Naturally, I wrestled at length with what I wanted to preach today. And quite at random, as I was turning the pages of my Bible, I read Psalm 63, and I’m afraid all those calculations of this occasion and the appropriateness of the passage vanished. In the end, I concluded that the greatest gift I could give the congregation today is to let Scripture move me for this occasion, rather than trying to move Scripture to fit the occasion. In the end, it does not matter how many books you’ve read, Ashok, on the pastorate or how many podcasts you’ve listened to, or the countless hours we’ve spent over the last decade talking about the church – if Psalm 63 does not secure your affections and seal your allegiance forever. Remember the order of allegiance as Jesus taught us in John 14 – if we love him first, it is then that we obey him. The books, the podcasts and the countless discussions matter only in as much as your love is first secured and that is what Psalm 63 is all about. And that goes not only for Ashok, but to all of you in this congregation. There will be no unity, no fellowship, no worship, no glory or power or victory if we all likewise are not so moved and secured by such a song as we see in Psalm 63.
I will declare it today and even prophecy it over you church that in this year you will find yourself returning to this Psalm again and again, to find your joy made full and to remind yourselves about the things that truly matter. Come then, you who are weary, frightened, anxious, confused, hopeful, eager, or frustrated – come hear this song for the soul and let your worries fall from you – [laying] aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, [running] with endurance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1).
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Psalm 63 is a song of the man after God’s own heart – king David. We do not know for certain, the exact occasion for the writing of this song, but we do know that it was written in the wilderness of Judah. And two periods in David’s life are often considered. One possibility is the time when David fled from Saul, a jealous king bent on eliminating him (1 Samuel 23-24). At that point, David lived as an exile, hiding in caves, knowing the throne promised to him by God was still out of reach. Another possibility is David’s flight from Absalom, his own son, who sought to overthrow him (2 Samuel 15-17). Here, David fled not just his palace but the very city he had established as the heart of Israel’s worship—Jerusalem. He carried the wounds of betrayal and the grief of a father, walking into the wilderness stripped of honour, home, and even family. On the one hand, he was in exile as a consequence of righteousness, having been anointed by God as the rightful king of Israel. His flight from Saul was a result of his obedience to God’s calling, enduring persecution for walking in the path of divine appointment. On the other hand, his exile during Absalom’s rebellion was a consequence of his own sin—his moral failure with Bathsheba and the subsequent breakdown of his family. Both instances reveal the complexity of David’s life – a man after God’s own heart, yet deeply flawed, whose experiences in exile remind us that God’s purposes can shine through both human faithfulness and failure. Regardless of which exile better fits the context of this Psalm, it would have been a true song for David in both occasions, and so also for you.
Ashok, this ministry will test you, and whether by the consequence of righteousness or sin, if you can sing this song from the bottom of your heart in all earnestness, it will be the great evidence that you are a man after God’s own heart. Church, though I use this occasion to address our elder candidate directly, remember that it all applies to you too. If you can sing this song from the bottom of your hearts in all earnestness, in all circumstances, it will be the great assurance that you are a people after God’s own heart. And so, here he stands, the king in exile. The wilderness stretches endlessly before him, a barren land where his physical thirst mirrors the spiritual thirst of his soul. And watch how in this desolation, his heart yearns not for water, nor safety, nor vengeance against his enemies. See what he longs for, above all, his God. David’s circumstances might strip away his comfort, his security, and his sense of peace, but they cannot strip away his faith.
His cry in Psalm 63 is not merely one of survival—it is one of worship. He recalls his mind to the time when he saw God’s power and glory in the sanctuary, and even though he is far from Jerusalem, he knows that God’s steadfast love is better than life itself. David’s state of mind here is a paradox. Physically, he is weary and vulnerable. Emotionally, he carries the weight of betrayal and uncertainty. Yet spiritually, he is resolute, deeply satisfied in God. Longing to worship once again in this sanctuary, this lonely king by his unstoppable affection for his God, inadvertently transforms his wilderness into a sanctuary because his gaze is fixed not on his circumstances, but on the unchanging goodness of his God. So, remember that this song is birthed in pain, not in comfort; it is composed in the rhythm of being sorrowful yet always rejoicing.
Exegesis
Now, there appears to be a certain structure to this song, and I’d like to break it up into four parts.
- In the first part (v1-2), we see David’s pursuit of God. This describes his devotion.
- In the second part (v3-5), we see his satisfaction and praise in God.
- In the third part (v6-8), we see David’s intentional dependence on God.
- And in the fourth and final part (v9-11), we see his confidence in God’s justice.
David’s worship does not remain stagnant, it grows. We see it deepen as the psalm progresses. It begins with longing. His soul yearns, his flesh faints, because he knows that without God, even life’s greatest comforts are hollow. As the psalm unfolds, David’s longing turns into satisfaction. Though his circumstances have not changed, his heart is filled with joy because he knows God’s steadfast love is better than life itself. This truth then moves him to praise, lifting his hands in worship and declaring God’s goodness. And as night falls, his worship deepens further into dependence. He reflects on God’s past faithfulness and clings to Him, finding shelter under His wings. Finally, David’s worship reaches its height in confidence. Even as enemies surround him, he trusts in God’s justice, rejoicing in the assurance that God will prevail. David’s worship begins with thirst, grows into joyful praise, and culminates in unwavering trust in God’s sovereignty. Let us now look at these four parts in greater detail.
The Pursuit of God
Psalm 63:1 NASB95
1O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
What is striking here is not so much that David is pursuing God. That is not a strange thing to ask a Christian to do. Every Christian would nod along with that idea. The sky is blue, water is wet, and Christians are Christ-ians. From the first Sunday school lesson, we’re told to seek God, to chase after Him. It’s Christianity 101. But David is doing more than stating the obvious here.
I’m going to take that first phrase and dwell on it for a while.
- O God, You are my God;
O do you see the audacity of faith? Do you see the boldness of love? That this pitiful man in the wilderness would dare to make such a claim – Not that God possesses him but that he possesses God – not that he belongs to God but that God belongs to him – You are not just any God, you are mine – that man should be so bold to declare his possession of his God. Spurgeon here speaks of David, “He [David] has no doubts about his possession of his God; and why should other believers have any?” And Spurgeon goes on to say, “How sweet is such language! Is there any other word comparable to it for delights?…Can angels say more?” But make no mistake, this does not mean that man has ownership over God or his decrees, or that God in his love has somehow made himself subordinate to our will. That is what modern Charismatics would have you believe. But God is not trapped – he hasn’t relinquished his sovereignty so as to grant us whatever we ask for in his name. God and you don’t have a relationship where you get to direct him on how he must conduct his affairs.
“I’ve told God that I’ll serve in the ministry as long as he doesn’t require me to leave this country”
“I’ve told God that I will submit to a church when he gives me a spouse”
“I’ve told God that I will give generously as soon as he makes me rich”
“I’ll do whatever You ask, God, as long as You don’t touch my health or my loved ones.”
Romans 9:20 NASB95
On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?
Such, “I’ve told God” statements is not a reflection of your intimate relationship with God, it is a reflection of the lack of relationship you have with him. What you have in such a case is imaginary, a fantasy of your own making, and that is not the cry of David in this Psalm. David is a man after God’s own heart, not his own heart. Such a cry of entitlement, unlike David’s, is not the audacity of faith but the audacity of faithlessness. Yet, God is his. How? How then can David make such a bold declaration, “O God, You are my God”? How can this finite, sinful man claim possession of the infinite, holy God? The answer lies not in David’s worthiness but in God’s grace. God, in His sovereign love, has chosen to covenant with His people. This is not a relationship man initiates or dictates; it is a relationship God establishes and sustains. David can call God “his” because God has first called David “Mine.” This is the beauty of covenantal love. God condescends, not to be directed by us, but to bind Himself to us in unbreakable faithfulness. It is the God who spoke to Abraham, saying, “I will establish My covenant between Me and you… to be God to you and to your descendants after you” (Genesis 17:7). It is the God who declares in Ezekiel, “I will be their God, and they will be My people” (Ezekiel 37:27). This is the same God who, in Christ, draws near to His church, giving us the right to call Him “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). This covenantal salutation that begins this Psalm may be considered, in my opinion, to be the chorus of the Song. It is the cornerstone, the foundation upon which this Psalm is built. David is God’s and God is David’s.
Now, see what such realisation does to a man’s pursuit of God.
Psalm 63:1 NASB95
1O …I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Love comes before obedience – and it is in such a relationship that one finds earnestness. As David looks out on the wilderness of Judah, in exile, without the plentiful that he enjoyed in the palace, his heart does not cry for the riches and royalty he now lacks. He misses the sanctuary.
Psalm 63:2 NASB95
Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
He misses his experience of God in public worship: the sanctuary is the place of corporate worship, and God’s glory is his special presence with his people, which is given and enjoyed in the sanctuary. Strip this king of pomp and glory and wealth and power and authority and strength and food and water, and what he misses is corporate worship – what he misses is church, where the power and glory of God is manifest. Therefore, David’s pursuit of God is one of deep longing that comes from deep communion. He longs for the God he has seen in the sanctuary. He has seen is power and glory, and he knows that God is his God. Jesus was truly the son of David, who when tested himself in such a wilderness refused to turn from His Father.
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Ashok, your primary pursuit in this office is not success, recognition, or the perfect execution of ministry strategies—it is God Himself. Just as David’s longing for God eclipsed every other need, so too must your heart’s affection be fixed on Him above all else. May the Lord increase you thirst so that you may enjoy the increased satisfaction when he fills you. You are called to lead, yes, but your leadership will only be as strong as your devotion. Be a man who has seen the glory of God in the sanctuary and leads others to see it as well. Church, follow your leaders in this charge. Imitate them as they try to imitate Christ. Pursue God like they do, like David did.
The Satisfaction in God
Psalm 63:3–5 NASB95
3 Because Your lovingkindness 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 in Your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
Now the song begins to unfold further, revealing what God’s covenantal belonging to David looks like.
- Your lovingkindness is better than life
The Hebrew word for loving kindness is a word brimming with covenantal power, a love so loyal, so steadfast, that it refuses to let go even when every reason to do so presents itself. It’s not merely kindness or mercy, though those words attempt to catch on to the edges of this word. But this is more, it is covenantal love—a binding, unbreakable commitment that reflects the very heart of God. It is the very reason David can cry out in the wilderness, “O God, You are my God.” For “lovingkindness” tells him, assures him, that God is not distant, not indifferent. He is bound to His people by an eternal promise of love, mercy, and faithfulness. This then is true satisfaction – that God’s promise to be David’s God is better than life itself. Being in this covenantal relationship with God is better than living on the earth. If a man is so satisfied in God, then God is most glorified in him. If a man is so satisfied in God, then he is but one step away from heaven. I searched extensively for the reference but couldn’t locate it. Still, it remains a profoundly moving account of a devout Christian who passed away while praying on his knees. It was said of him that he likely finished his prayer in heaven, said “Amen,” and opened his eyes at the feet of Jesus.
Life is our most precious and daily pursuit, but if God’s lovingkindness is better than life itself, then what is to become of our pursuit?
- This is the birthplace of praise.
How often do you praise God, bless Him, and lift you hands in his name? Or are you afraid that makes you look too Pentecostal? Praise is the fruit of satisfaction. During our corporate singing, when the call to the congregation to lift a voice in prayer or praise is met with silence, it is not a matter of the lack of familiarity or tradition, it is rather the evidence of a people lacking in satisfaction. Our posture in corporate worship is revealing of our satisfaction in God.
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Ashok, Your satisfaction in God must be the wellspring from which everything else flows. If God’s steadfast love is truly better than life, then your ministry must be driven by a heart that treasures Him above all else. Church, sing loudly, pray boldly, and lift your hands in His name, not out of tradition or ritual, but because your soul is satisfied with the riches of His grace. If your satisfaction in God is deep and true, your worship will overflow, glorifying Him and edifying one another. Let this church be a place where the fruit of satisfaction in God is abundant and unmistakable.
The Dependence on God
Psalm 63:6–8 NASB95
6When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
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.
God’s covenantal faithfulness secures David’s pursuit for and satisfaction in God. And now we see how it also builds his faith, his trust, his dependence on God. When he remembers his God in the night on his bed, he recalls that God has always been his help. He was always kept under the shadow of His wings. He would cling to God and God would uphold him with His mighty hand. Such assurances forces David to meditate on his God, and to cling to Him. This is a deliberate holding on when everything around him threatens to shake him loose.
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Ashok, as an elder, you will face sleepless nights, trials that test your endurance, and burdens that feel beyond your strength. Cultivate a life of dependence on Him, meditating on His faithfulness in the night watches and clinging to Him in every season. Lead this church not as one who carries the weight of the world, but as one who is carried by the God who never falters. Church, follow David’s example of dependence. In your own trials, meditate on God’s help and sing for joy under the shadow of His wings.
The Confidence in God
Psalm 63:9–11 NASB95
9 But those who seek my life to destroy it,
Will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They will be delivered over to the power of the sword;
They will be a prey for foxes.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him will glory,
For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.
And finally, we come to the circumstances that have David in this wilderness. Notice how David’s song is quite unlike our own. He begins where we end, and ends where we begin. We would begin the song with our situation and circumstances and eventually get to the more spiritual matters of the soul. But David begins with what matters most. The prayers and songs of a man reveals much. And here we find David’s confidence in this closure is still the same covenantal reality with which he began – this God is his God. And so no true harm could fall upon him. For God is the first and last avenger. He delivers the innocent and punishes the wicked. So, David in such circumstance, can sing for joy.
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Ashok, your vindication and victory are not yours to secure—they belong to God. Rejoice in Him, even in the face of challenges, knowing that His justice will prevail. Church, do not let opposition shake your faith or divide your fellowship. Rejoice in God’s justice and commit to supporting your elders as they lead you in this charge of trusting in God.
Conclusion
David sang this song with what he knew of God in Israel’s sanctuary. But he could not sing this song the way you get to sing this song. Because when you say, “O God, your my God”, you have seen this covenant demonstrated in its ultimate fulfilment when God sent His Son to live among us, suffer for us, and die in our place. The cross is the unshakable evidence of God’s lovingkindness—a love so loyal and unrelenting that it pursued us even while we were still sinners. Jesus bore the full weight of our sin, taking our wilderness upon Himself, so that we could enter into the sanctuary of God’s presence forever. What more do you need to see O church to recognise that he is your God! This covenant, sealed in Christ’s blood, is the anchor of our pursuit, satisfaction, dependence, and confidence. If God has bound Himself to us in such a way, how could we ever doubt His faithfulness? How could we pursue anything less than Him? The cry of David, “O God, You are my God,” is now ours in Christ. And this covenant is not based on our ability to cling to Him but on His sovereign grace in holding us fast.
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Ashok, as you begin your ministry as an elder, remember that your calling is anchored in this Gospel. You are not called to be the saviour of this church—that role has already been filled by Christ. You are called to point others to Him, to shepherd them with a heart that is rooted in the steadfast love of God. Let Christ’s sacrifice shape your service, His example define your leadership, and His love compel your worship. Church, this covenantal love calls us all to respond. If Christ has bound Himself to us, what else is worthy of our devotion? If His steadfast love is better than life, how can we not lift our hands in worship and praise? Turn from lesser pursuits, lay aside every weight, and run to the One who has run toward you in grace. And to those here who do not yet know this love – this invitation stands open. Christ has died for sinners, and His resurrection proclaims victory over sin and death. Come to Him, not with your works, not with your worthiness, but with empty hands and a thirsty soul. Drink deeply of His grace, and let your heart be satisfied forever. This is the Gospel – that in Christ, God has made us His own, and even more – He has become our own. Nothing—not even death—can separate us from His love. Let us rejoice in this truth, worship with full hearts, and live lives that reflect the glory of this covenantal love.
Amen.
