Psalm 63:1-5
O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my body longs for You, in this dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory. Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You.
When David wrote Psalm 63, he was in the Desert of Judah; he was literally in a dry land without water, but he did not ask for water. He thirsted for God. David had seen God's power and glory and knew God was all he needed. His language in this psalm expresses a desperate yearning for God. He saw that God's love is better than life itself and wanted to praise God for as long as he lived. His soul was satisfied with God as a person is satisfied with good food.
David wrote all of this incredible praise while he was in a desert, quite possibly when he fled from his son Absalom, who tried to overthrow the throne and become king. Hiding out in an arid desert, dealing with the heartbreak of his son's betrayal, David earnestly sought God's presence and praised Him; he declared that God was all he needed to be content. In the midst of great struggle, David praised God.
David's praise is an amazing example of what our praise should look like. Whether in good times or bad, we should lift up our hands to God in gratitude and worship. He will fulfill our needs and take care of us. His love will not fail us but will sustain us throughout every circumstance. As long as you live, praise God, sing to Him, and earnestly seek Him.
