A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
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.
2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
5My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 6when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 7for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;10they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.
11But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
Keep in mind as you read this psalm that David is in the wilderness!
- Verses 1-4: Read verse 1 again. What kind of language does David use to speak of God? Does this sound like he is speaking to an intimate friend or somebody he has no relationship with? What kind of language do you use when you speak with God in prayer? Do you think his physical surroundings are having an effect on how he speaks with God? What in God’s creation effects how you talk with God? In verse 3, David looks at the love God has for him and it moves him to action. What do verses 3 and 4 illustrate? How are some ways in which you praise God?
- Verses 5-8: David continues on with very personal, strong language in these verses. Verses 7 and 8 say that God has been David’s help and that He upholds David. David’s praise of God isn’t based on his own actions towards God, but because God sustains David. Do you praise God at all times or only when you see His blessing in your life? God deserves praise at all times because of who He is, not for what He can do for us. Take a break to praise Him!
- Verses 9-11: We are brought back to the reality of where David is by verses 9 and 10. God’s love also brings about justice and David prays that God’s justice will rain on his enemies. Remember that David was anointed as a king by God and that his enemies are God’s! When you demand justice in your life, is it based on God’s standards or your own? What does David to at the end of this psalm? What does he call us to do?