Scripture
1O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.
2I have seen you in your sanctuary
and gazed upon your power and glory.
3Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
how I praise you!
4I will praise you as long as I live,
lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
5You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.
6I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night.
7Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
8I cling to you;
your strong right hand holds me securely.
9But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin.
They will go down into the depths of the earth.
10They will die by the sword
and become the food of jackals.
11But the king will rejoice in God.
All who swear to tell the truth will praise him,
while liars will be silenced.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!
When we love something or someone, we cannot stop talking about them. Whether this love is love for one’s spouse, friend, favorite kitchen item, when we love someone or something, we talk often about that person or thing we love. We simply cannot keep that love to ourselves. The same should be true of our love for God. You see, when we love God, He occupies our mind’s attention and our heart’s affection in such a way that we cannot help but think about Him and talk about Him all of the time. This is the natural response to loving Him.
David reflects on God’s love, goodness, and faithfulness in Psalm 63, and He cannot help but express His love for God in response. He begins the Psalm by talking about his longing for God and His desire to be with Him. He spends time reflecting on how God has carried him and taken care of him in the past during difficult times. He recalls God’s great love saying, “Your unfailing love is better than life itself” (verse 3). God’s love is better than anything, even life itself, he concludes. That means there is absolutely nothing better than God and His love.
When David thought about God’s love, he could not help but burst into songs of praise. After talking about the greatness of God’s love, He wrote, “how I praise you!” (verse 7). This is the only appropriate response to God’s love: praise. That is why David concluded, “I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer” (verse 4).
A deep love for God means that He occupies our hearts and minds all throughout the day. This means taking time to reflect on Him and His goodness, especially His goodness to us. And when we do this, we cannot help but praise Him. God’s love is better than anything, and this, my friends, changes everything. Rest in His love today, and let His great love lead to praise.
Moving toward action
Take a few minutes to think about God’s love for you. Read through Psalm 63. Think about everything He did to rescue you from sin. After reflecting on God’s love, pray a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Praise Him for who He is and everything He has done.
Going Deeper
Psalm 63:1-11 (NLT)
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