Psalm 63

Psalm 63

Worship in the Wilderness

I. We only worship in the wilderness when God is the top priority in our lives, so we must desire Him above all else (Vv. 1-2)

a. In the midst of Absalom’s rebellion, as David and his followers have fled into the Judean wilderness, when life looked it’s bleakest and David had every reason to be distraught and overwhelmed, he was moved to seek God earnestly. At a time when the circumstances of David’s life left him with no other source of refreshing; when his whole body, soul, and being was in danger of suffering spiritual dehydration, God graciously quenches his thirst through His presence. David’s life was far from perfect, but he had consistently and diligently desired to be in the presence of God above all other things. He had tasted God’s goodness, mercy, grace, and love and developed an insatiable appetite for more of Him. The time to seek wisdom is before we need it; and the time to prepare our hearts for difficulties and trials is prior to encountering them. We must truly know God in order to maintain the proper perspective in all seasons of life; and truly knowing anyone requires regular and true communion. Consistent worship of God, consistently desiring to be in His presence, and the diligence to maintain God as the top priority in our lives, prepares us to seek Him first in difficult times. Because David knew the Lord intimately, even his wilderness experience, became a worship experience! (Vv. 1-2; Ps. 27:4; 34:8; 36:8-9; 42:1-2; 46:4; 84:1-2; Matt. 5:6; John 4:1-14; 6:32-35; 7:37-39; 14:6; 17:3; Heb. 5:11-14; Rev. 22:17)

II. We only worship in the wilderness when God is the top priority in our lives, so we must praise Him above all else (Vv. 3-5)

a. Knowing God deeply, and maintaining our relationship with Him as the priority in our lives, moves us to desire Him deeply and enables us to praise Him passionately in both good and difficult times. Because David knew the gracious and forgiving covenant love of God, he could confidently say, even in the midst of exile and uncertainty in the wilderness, “…Your lovingkindness is better than life…”. His lips could praise God joyfully, and his hands could be lifted in prayer and praise to God, simply because he understood God’s love and knew that he belonged to Him. David was truly and completely satisfied in the Lord, and God was his priority in all times and circumstances. Life will always be too much or not enough, unless God is our priority and we’re satisfied in Him. (Vv. 3-5; 2 Sam. 15:24-29; Ps. 22:26; 28:2; 36:7; 81:16; 141:2; 147:14; Prov. 27:20; Eccl. 5:10; 6:7; Isa. 25:6; 55:1-2; Hos. 13:6; Luke 6:21; 10:20)

III. We only worship in the wilderness when God is the top priority in our lives, so we must remember Him before all else (Vv. 6-8)

a. God was the constant priority of David’s heart and mind, he was completely satisfied in Him, and so he was able to rest in peace, even though chaos swirled about him. He sought God earnestly in the morning, meditated on God’s goodness at night as rested, and God was His first thought when he woke up in the night. To “remember” God, is to say that David recalled what God had said and done in the past, and in his life, and then applied to the present and the future. God is always now, He’s always exactly what we need for any circumstance. God was constantly on David’s heart and mind, so he was constantly moved in his inner most being to cling to God. To “cling or cleave” means intentionally and continually doing things that bring us closer together with God, and intentionally and continually avoiding the things that move you apart. We all make time for whatever is important to us and what we’re truly devoted to. God has given us everything, and demands the first portion of all things back to Himself. In this, He’s encouraging us to make Him the priority in all things, so that we can experience His blessings in all things, even the wilderness of life. (Vv. 6-8; Deut. 6:4-9; 30:20; Ps. 16:7-8; 17:7; 18:35; 41:12; 42:6, 8; 77:1-11; 78:40-43; 105:1-5; 119:55, 148; Jer. 13:11; John 10:27-29; 14:21-27)

IV. We only worship in the wilderness when God is the top priority in our lives, so we must trust Him above all else (Vv. 9-11)

a. David was God’s chosen king, a man after God’s own heart, and the one through whom God would ultimately provide His Messiah to deliver His people. To rebel against David, was to rebel against God Himself. David trusted God to deal with him personally for his sins, and He trusted God to deal with these rebellious sinners. One day everyone will glorify and worship God’s Son. David is calling all people to glorify God today, whenever today is, and rejoice and trust in God with him. To make God and His will the priority of your life, is to continually grow to trust in Him, and to be able to worship even the wilderness. (Vv. 9-11; 2 Sam. 7:12-16; 18:6-8; Ps. 31:5; 40:11-17; 55; Prov. 3:5-8; Jer. 29:11-13; Hab. 3:18; Phil 2:9-11)