Psalm 63 was written while David was in the Judean wilderness, either during his flight from Saul (1 Samuel 23) or more likely from Absalom (2 Samuel 15; Psalm 63:11) his son, who had betrayed him and was out to kill David. Absalom led in a conspiracy against his father, with the intent of winning over the throne. He deceived the people in his revolt to be king without God’s authorization.
Psalm 63:3-5: “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.”
David knew that the same God that protected him as a shepherd boy, from the giant Goliath, was the same God that could protect him from the wicked King Saul, and his son Absalom. Despite David’s circumstances, he sustained deep devotion, faith, trust, allegiance, commitment, and love for God, by his practice of continually worshipping God. That was how David was able to stand firm in the expectation of God’s power in his life. He kept on singing sacrificial praises of God’s blessings in his life.
David’s life was in danger, and yet he declared God’s love was better than life as he sang or said words of adoration up to God. It says David held his hands up to God, which was an Old Testament posture of prayer, and an act of readiness to receive every good gift that would come from God. Question: “Was David in church when he did this or alone?” Just a thought. But the point is David did not lack words of thanksgiving and allegiance to God while undergoing an extreme life threatening situation. His stress level was over the charts. But he still maintained joy in the Lord as his strength and foundation. I don’t think I always do that during life’s ups and downs.
David refers to “fat and rich food,” which was a metaphor comparing emotional and spiritual satisfaction of God’s presence with the gratification of fulfillment and pleasure of a banquet of rich food. Today, our healthy-rich foods are – bacon, avocados, cheese, dark chocolate, whole eggs, salmon, nuts, chia seeds, and extra virgin olive oil. Each one provides numerous health benefits.
Dark Chocolate: Provides 11% fiber and over 50% RDA for iron, magnesium, copper, manganese. Outranks blueberries in antioxidants. Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure. Can improve brain function and protects skin from damage when exposed to the sun. High in fat but loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. Effective in improving cardiovascular health. There you go! I need to eat more dark chocolate!
Think about the setting when David was hiding from the very people that were trying to kill him. He was all alone. He was in the desert of Judah. But David knew God was the only one to be there for him. In the stillness, in the quiet, David knew God was right there with him. So he made good use of his time by praying and lifting his praise up to God, despite his surroundings and loneliness. God’s steadfast love was very personal for David. He believed God alone was sufficient. The Message states Psalm 63:3-5 very uniquely:
“In your generous love I am really living at last! My lips brim praises like fountains! I bless you every time I take a breath; my arms wave like banners of praise to you. I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy; I smack my lips. It’s time to shout praises!”
David had a constant appreciation, praise, happiness, joy, and affection for God. Why? Because David owed his existence to God and he knew God’s love for him was better than life itself. David had the belief that only real satisfaction comes from our heavenly father (Psalm 63:5). David desired God’s will over his own position of leadership.
In studying the Psalms this summer, I see how David cried out to God many times when he was in deep distress. He had times of depression from circumstances. But he didn’t get stuck there. He expressed his feelings vividly up to God. Psalm 64:1 states: “Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy.” David had complaints and prayed specifically for his needs. But David always in the end spoke and sang beautiful words of adoration, thanksgiving, and praises up to God. All through the book of Psalm, David calls God his shield, protector, his hope, rock, salvation, fortress, provider, refuge. David declares God answers with awe-inspiring works (Psalm 65:5 HCSB).
We all have to remember that Satan and his forces are out to threaten us with guilt, shame, frustration, and feelings of failure. That will play havoc in our lives and distract us from praising the God who gave us life. David experienced attacks on his life more than once and from his own son. David was not perfect. But he spoke and sang beautiful songs of praise to God when he needed God’s presence, protection, and provision. Psalm 62:6 David declares: “He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.”
Just as eating healthy fats in our diet (avocados contain 40% more potassium than bananas) will give us needed physical benefits, so will meditating on God’s word, and giving Him thanks continually throughout our day. Giving praise and glory up to God, will provide peace, joy, and result in full spiritual benefits from blessings of satisfaction, in being filled with the fullness of God.
“Worship is our response, both personal and corporate, to God for who He is and what He has done; expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live.” Louie Giglio.
“Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.”—Charles Spurgeon
What attacks or threats have you experienced lately? How does God want you to respond?
Sometimes it is better to simply do nothing in response to feeling threatened or being misjudged. Think about that for a moment.
May God fill you with His blessings today as you give Him praise for what He has done in your life. May your soul be satisfied in the Lord much more than dark chocolate.
Listen to Casting Crown’s “Already There.”