Psalm 63 - 4.24.26
Scripture: Psalm 63:1-8
1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name, I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.
Observation
This is a Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. David spent years in the wilderness, hunted by Saul. He hid in caves, in the darkness, relying on God to take care of him. David would cry out to God early in the morning, seeking His face, seeking His protection, seeking His Love. To David, the Love of God was more meaningful than life itself. David longed for God’s love, presence and protection.
Application
I went through many years in the wilderness. Walking through a divorce after 24 years of marriage. Having my four children with me and not knowing how I would take care of them by myself. My son Joshua starting have mental issues, he did drugs with his friends and drove his car at 60 mph right into a traffic pole. He was in a hospital bed in my living room for 1 year. He started walking and working again, but the mental illness kept getting worse. He couldn’t keep a job, was abusing drugs and alcohol and was abusive verbally to all his family. I ended up kicking him out of the house and he started his seven-year journey on the streets of Santa Clarita.
I had entered my wilderness season, but the Lord never left me or forsake me. I would worship and cry myself to sleep. The next morning, I would have renewed hope in the future. I would praise the Lord from the moment I woke up and thank Him for watching over me and my children during the night. I was in constant prayer for my son Joshua and would walk the washes praying and looking for him. I would wake up every morning at 3 am worrying about my son, so I figured God woke me up to pray. I would intercede for him about an hour, then I would fall back to sleep. I longed to be in God’s presence, I would close my eyes and picture myself crawling up into His lap and He would cover me with His wings. Day by day I grew stronger and Jesus walked with me every step of the way, His right hand was always there for me to grab hold of. He met our needs and He watched over my children, especially my Prodigal Son.
If you see me at church, worshipping, praising God, lifting my hands and dancing it’s not that I want to make a spectacle of myself, it’s because I walked through the fire and came out the other side. I will praise Him for as long as I live and His name will forever be on my lips.
His love is truly better than life!
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you for never leaving me or forsaking me while I walked through the wilderness. Thank you for always reaching your hand out to me to hold. Thank you for protecting my children and walking them through the wilderness also. Thank you for your love that is better than life. I will forever praise your name!
- Michelle Craig
