Thirsting For God. Psalm 63
Notes
Transcript
Text - Psalm 63
Subject - Desire
Theme - Desire for God
Thesis - David expresses his deep longing for God during a time of wilderness exile, showing that true satisfaction and joy are not found in circumstances but in communion with God.
Principle - Because our souls were made for God, we will only find lasting satisfaction, strength, and joy through earnest, worshipful communion with Him - especially in the wilderness seasons of life.
What do you do when the bottom falls out of your life?
Not when you have a bad day—but when you lose your footing altogether.
When people you trust turn against you.
When comfort is stripped away.
When your heart is parched, your soul weary, and your prayers seem to echo off the walls of a wilderness that you never asked to enter.
That’s where David is when he writes Psalm 63.
The title tells us he’s in the wilderness of Judah.
And this isn’t poetic metaphor—it’s real dust, real danger, real desperation.
Maybe it was while running for his life from Saul—the king who hated him.
Or maybe it was after his own son, Absalom, turned on him and tried to take his throne.
Either way, this psalm comes from a man who has lost safety, comfort, and control.
But what he hasn’t lost—what he refuses to let go of—is his longing for God.
And that’s what makes this psalm so shocking.
David doesn’t begin by asking for deliverance.
He begins by declaring his desire.
“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you…”
In the middle of a crisis, David doesn’t just want rescue—he wants relationship.
He doesn’t just cry for help—he cries out for God.
And in doing so, he gives us a window into a soul that has learned the deepest lesson of faith:
In the wilderness, God’s presence is our greatest provision.
Let’s read this psalm together and listen in as David thirsts, worships, clings, and trusts—showing us how to anchor our souls when the wilderness stretches long and the night feels dark.
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
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.
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.
The superscription of this Psalm gives a little bit of background about this Psalm.
It reads A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
Looking at the timeline of David’s life, there are two different times when this could have been written.
The first is told to us in the book of 1 Samuel as David was fleeing from Saul.
David had been anointed the king of Israel while the current king was still alive!
Quite the dangerous situation to be in.
The second is told to us in the book of 2 Samuel, when David’s son Absalom plots to take the throne from his father.
Both times David flees to the wilderness for safety.
It is difficult to see and understand how David could have written words with such confident expectation in either of those situations.
Really think about the irony of the moment.
A man is after you to kill you, you are fleeing for your life and what comes to mind is - O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints your you,
David had a real and true dependence upon the Lord.
One that is an example for us.
But also I believe part of the reason that he was called a man after God’s own heart.
He desired and longed for God.
In the wilderness, God’s presence is our greatest provision.
Moving past the superscription into the text -
Longing for God in the Wilderness (vv. 1–2)
Longing for God in the Wilderness (vv. 1–2)
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.
Contextually, David finds himself in this psalm in a place of great thirst - great longing or desire.
David makes this bold proclamation - God you are my God!
He begins this psalm not with a cry for help - we find clearer examples of that in other psalms.
1 To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.
1 With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
No this psalm is a cry of desire.
David finds himself in the wilderness and knows that God is His greatest provision.
Depending upon when this Psalm with written, David either finds himself in a place of great confusion - God you have anointed me king, why do you let King Saul live and continue to hunt me
Or a place of great heartache - God I sinned greatly against you alone, my own child is rising up against me, you are doing as you said you would
11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’ ”
David repented of His sin, but that did not negate the negative consequences of his sin.
In either case, David is in the wilderness, not metaphorically but literally, physically.
He is exiled.
Yet his thirst is not for water, but for God.
My soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
When was the last time you were really physically thirsty?
Maybe you were out for a hike and ran out of water. Throat so dry you can hardly speak, lips beginning to crack.
All you could think about was getting a drink of water.
Every fiber of your being crying out for relief.
That is the image that David is using to describe his need, not for comfort or safety, but for God Himself.
That physical setting is a picture of his spiritual desire for the Lord.
David says my soul - the innermost part of my being thirsts for you!
We might liken to the a feeling of spiritual cotton mouth - dry and weary.
Be Worshipful Desiring God (vv. 1–2)
There in the desert, he was hungry and thirsty, but his deepest desires were spiritual, not physical. With his whole being, body and soul, he yearned for God’s satisfying presence.
In reality, this desire for spiritual things is something that we have to cultivate in our lives.
Something that has to grow within us.
God helps us to do just that.
He allows times of dryness, difficult situations, times of grief, transition, or emptiness to occur.
He allows situations such as these to build in us a thirst for Him.
When life places us in the wilderness, what do we thirst for most?
David shows us the heart of a believer shaped by communion with God: earnest seeking.
Not half-hearted religion, but a desperate reach for the living God.
Spiritual longing is most deeply felt when life is most stripped down.
When we have lost the things that grant us comfort.
In verse 2 - was David able to physically look upon God in the sanctuary.
No - he was in the wilderness.
But still he was reminded of God’s power and glory.
He lifts his eyes, not physically - he is still in the wilderness, from the dry and barren land around Him, from the dryness of his soul, to be reminded of the the goodness of God.
David knew that when the land is dry and life is hard, it is God who waters the soul!
No matter the hard season we are in, when we are in the middle of it, it feels like the hardest place to be.
Yet the example David provides is to lift our eyes to the Lord.
To earnestly seek the Lord, especially in times of dryness.
In the times we feel depressed, discouraged, beat down, hopeless.
We must lift our eyes to the Lord.
He is on the lookout, searching for, diligently seeking the only thing that will truly satisfy him in that time.
Because David knows that the only true thing that will satisfy is God.
Satisfied in the Presence of God (vv. 3–4)
Satisfied in the Presence of God (vv. 3–4)
David begins with a deep thirst for God—his soul parched in a dry and weary land.
His longing isn’t left unanswered.
As he lifts his eyes from the barrenness around him to the God he knows, his thirst turns to worship.
The wilderness reveals the longing, but worship brings the satisfaction.
And what satisfies David’s soul is not escape from trouble—but the steadfast love of God Himself.
"Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you."
David’s shift from longing to satisfaction is nothing short of miraculous.
He doesn’t wait until his situation changes—he praises God in the midst of it.
Why?
Because he is reminded of something that he has tasted before.
David remembers that he has tasted something better than life itself: God’s chesed love—His covenantal, good, gracious, loyal, steadfast love.
This isn’t merely affection; it’s God’s unbreakable commitment to His people.
David says this love is better than life itself.
In other words, he would rather die with God’s love than live without it.
David offers full bodied worship to God.
My lips will praise you... I will bless you as long as I live... in your name I will lift up my hands…”
His lips declare, his hands lift, his soul rejoices.
It’s a reminder that true worship is not passive; it is a full-person response to the glory of God.
This is the wilderness response God desires from us.
This section of the psalm confronts a critical truth:
God does not just give satisfaction—He is the satisfaction.
Too often we think of God as the means to a better life.
But David shows us that God is the better life.
The reason David can worship in the wilderness is because his joy isn’t rooted in comfort, but in covenant.
This is the direct sentiment that Paul echoes when he writes
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
The example provided for us should give us great comfort when we are walking through our own wilderness, be it physically, spiritually, or both.
When we face trials, we don’t have all the answers, we don’t feel strong, we don’t often see the way forward, but if we trust in Christ for our salvation, we can still say
God, your steadfast love is better than life!
Are you looking for satisfaction in changed circumstances?
Are you holding your joy hostage until life gets better?
David shows us that it’s not when the wilderness ends that joy begins—it’s when we worship God for who He is, not just what He gives.
The wilderness can starve the body but still satisfy the soul—if God is there.
That is the truth that David clings to as he continues in this psalm.
Clinging to God (vv. 5–8)
Clinging to God (vv. 5–8)
My soul will be satisfied -
Notice the future tense.
David begins preaching to his own soul.
Even in a dry and hostile place, he expects fullness—not because of changed circumstances, but because of God’s unchanging character.
My soul will be satisfied with fat and rich food -
In the ancient world, the richest food was a symbol of joy, blessing, and fullness.
David says that communion with God brings a kind of inward satisfaction that no earthly feast can match.
His stomach may be empty—but his soul is full.
And because of this he will vocally give praise to the Lord!
Even in the darkness of night - we might equate the darkness of the soul - David says he will remember the Lord and meditate on him.
One of the things that hard times often do in our lives is they cause us to forget what we have already gone through to get us to where we are.
Which is something David intentionally battles against here.
David reminds himself that God has been his help.
7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
When David remembers what God has already done for him he can say
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
David’s worship is not based on his emotions, but on his memory of God’s character.
He doesn’t invent peace in the night—he finds it by remembering God’s past faithfulness and trusting His present grip.
David helps us to remember that we have a responsibility in trials to seek and cling to God.
But also God’s sovereignty is upholding and satisfying us.
The misconception is common that God will not give you more than you can handle.
That is false.
God will give you more than you can handle - on your own.
God gives more than we can handle to gain from us the response that David models for us here in this Psalm because God wants all of us, our whole being.
He doesn’t want us in our strength, but in our reliance wholly upon Him.
There is a beautiful balance between God’s divine grace and our human dependence.
As believers, we cling to God—not to earn His love, but because His love has already secured us.
Clinging to God is only possible because God first clings to you.
Some of the hardest spiritual battles we face are fought in the silence of the night.
I don’t mean just physical darkness, while yes, night is a time we can struggle because it is often a time when we have wound down and allowed ourselves to think.
David’s example is of a person who relies on, meditates on, the steadfastness of God.
In doing so he moves from fear over his circumstances to joy.
This is especially encouraging for anyone dealing with loneliness, grief, depression, or chronic pain.
Those things that make us feel as though we are in the darkness of night.
When the truth is if in the dark of night, we cling to God—we find He’s already holding us.
Trusting God with the Outcome (vv. 9–11)
Trusting God with the Outcome (vv. 9–11)
Through this Psalm, David has taken us on a journey—from thirsting for God in a dry and weary land, to praising Him with satisfied lips, to clinging to Him in the stillness of the night.
But now, as the psalm turns to its final movement, David lifts his eyes once more—not just inward in meditation, but outward in confidence.
He entrusts his future, his enemies, and the outcomes he cannot control into the hands of the God who upholds him.
Because the soul that clings to God can also rest in His justice.
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.
After lifting his heart in worship and expressing his hope-filled meditation, David now faces his external reality head-on: he is still surrounded by enemies.
But instead of being overwhelmed, he entrusts their judgment—and his future—to God.
“Those who seek to destroy my life…”
David doesn’t pretend his problems have vanished.
His enemies are real and dangerous.
But his response is no longer driven by fear.
He names the threat—but places it in God’s hands.
English Standard Version Psalm 63
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.
David through this closing section teaches us that worship doesn’t eliminate our enemies or the trial we face, rather it puts it/them in God’s hands.
When God satisfies your soul, you no longer need to control the outcome.
David doesn’t need to vindicate himself.
He’s not scheming for revenge or trying to force an outcome.
Because he trusts in the God who upholds him (v. 8), he can rest in the God who vindicates him.
David rejoices, not in the downfall of his enemies, but in the justice and faithfulness of God to set things right.
In theological terms, David is entrusting himself to the righteous judgment of God, and act that Jesus clearly modeled for us as well.
Peter writes of Jesus
23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
In Jesus, the true King, we see perfect trust in the Father’s justice—even as He was surrounded by enemies.
Jesus didn’t retaliate.
He entrusted all to God and was ultimately vindicated through resurrection and glory.
Many of us live with relational conflict, false accusation, or unfair opposition.
We want resolution—and often, we want justice now.
But Psalm 63 reminds us: We don’t have to fight to make things right.
We can trust God with the outcome.
When you’ve worshiped, when you’ve spent time with the Lord, when you’ve clung to God in the dark—you can now release control of what happens next.
Not because the outcome is guaranteed to be easy, but because it’s held in the hands of a just and sovereign King.
As believers, we too are royalty—not by status, but by adoption (Romans 8:17).
We can rejoice in God not because life is safe, but because our place in His kingdom is secure.
You don’t have to control the outcome when your life is in God’s hands.
The questions that begs an answer through all of this though is have you truly placed your life in God’s hands?
Have you trusted in Jesus for salvation?
If not, or if you want to explore further what it really means to trust in Christ, I would love to speak with you.
Conclusion
Conclusion
David's time in the wilderness stripped away every earthly comfort—but it revealed the deepest truth of all: God is enough.
Perhaps you find yourself in a wilderness state this morning.
I want to remind you, when life leaves you dry, only God can give relief to your soul.
David began in a dry and weary land—but he ends in rejoicing.
Not because the wilderness has changed, but because his soul has found its anchor in God.
Psalm 63 shows us that:
Longing for God leads to
Worship of God, which leads to
Clinging to God, which results in
Trusting God with everything else.
In your wilderness, cling to the One who satisfies.
Trust the One who sees.
And rest in the One who will one day make everything right.
The soul, made for God, finds its only satisfaction in His steadfast love.
No matter your age or stage, only God can truly satisfy your heart.
