Episode Transcript
Psalm 63 (ESV)
1O 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.
CONSIDER
Today’s post is from A Meditative Journey Through the Psalms by Timothy and Julie Tennent. He holds the Methodist Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School and served as president of Asbury Theological Seminary for fifteen years. She is a gifted musician and was one of the driving forces that helped bring to fruition the Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise. We will share some of their writing on the Psalms on Sundays.
A wise person once said that we should never forget in the days of darkness what we have learned in the days of light. This is the lesson of Psalm 63. This psalm was written in one of the most difficult periods of David’s life. David is in exile in the desert. He is in a desert, both physically and spiritually. He has fled from Jerusalem. He cannot experience God’s presence in the temple. The ark of the covenant has been left behind. When David declares that he is in a “dry and weary land where there is no water” (v. 1), it is a statement as much about his spiritual condition as it is his physical one. Yet, in the midst of this difficult time, David remembers God’s faithfulness in the past: “I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory” (v. 2). Spiritual amnesia is one of the great problems that beset us during times of trial. We forget God’s past faithfulness. In contrast, David teaches us to remember, to call out upon him even “through the watches of the night” (v. 6), knowing that the same God who was with us in the light will guide us in the days of darkness and trial.
For the Awakening,
Timothy and Julie Tennent
HYMN
Sing Psalm 63 with the Seedbed Psalter today. We suggest the tune DUNDEE ("God Moves in a Mysterious Way"). You can hear the tune played online by Julie here. If you listen to the podcast audio version, we will sing the psalm using this tune. For your convenience, the words from the Psalter are printed below.
1 O God, You are my God, and I
will seek You earnestly.
My soul does thirst, my body longs;
With You I want to be.
I’m in a dry and weary land,
Where water can’t be found;
2 But I have seen You in Your house
with glory all around.
3 Your love is better far than life;
Your name I’ll glorify.
4 I’ll praise You long as I may live,
And lift my hands on high.
5 My soul will be well satisfied
as with the best of food;
My mouth will sing, my lips will praise,
With praise that You are due.
6 Upon my bed, I think of You,
Through watches of the night;
7 In shadow of Your wings, I sing,
For You’re my help and light.
8 Your right hand does uphold me, and
my soul does cling to You;
9 And those who seek my life will be
destroyed where none can view.
10 They will be given to the sword,
For jackals, they’ll be food.
11 The king finds joy; God’s people praise;
While liars are subdued.
