My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.
But those who seek my life to destroy it,
Will go into the depths of the earth.
They will be delivered over to the power of the sword;
They will be a prey for foxes.
But the king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him will glory,
For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.
Psalm 63
This psalm reads three ways to me. First, as what it literally is -- King David's prayer. Secondly, it reads as my prayer. It's a prayer any of God's children might pray (but substituting "I" for "the king" in verse 11). Finally, since David was a "type" of Jesus, and many of his prayers have a messianic overtone, this psalm reads to me as a prayer the earthly Jesus might have prayed. Re-read it that way and see what you think.
What does it teach me about Jesus to read it this way?
First of all, it sounds as though He arose early and sought His Father alone, in a quiet place. Part of the reason I read it that way is that the NASB tells me that the word "earnestly" in verse 1 literally means "early."
Secondly, Jesus was in some ways lonely. He had been placed into a world that didn't understand His world, and He often experienced the pain of being an outsider. Not that He longed to be like the rest of the world (though He probably had to wrestle with aspects of this as He grew up), but He longed for the world to be made right with God. He was living in a dry and weary land where there was no water; moments spent alone with God were His life support.
I also learn from this prayer that Jesus lived in praise day and night. He remembered God on His bed and meditated on Him in the night watches. At night while the rest of the house was quiet, He was in silent conversation with His Father.
Verse 11 is quite interesting when read as Jesus' prayer. It changes slightly:
But the King will rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him will glory,
for the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.
Notice what happens? Jesus Himself is King, therefore "Him" becomes ambiguous, and the sentence can also be read as "Everyone who swears by the Son will glory." Which makes perfect sense; I love reading it with this ambiguity.
Finally, Psalm 63 can be read as a reminder to Jesus of the outcome of His earthly mission: "The King will rejoice in God; everyone who swears by Him will glory, for the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped." He will emerge from this dry and weary land victorious, rejoicing in God. Those who believe in Him will be forever honored and transformed -- because His victory will be complete, defeating evil and its lies forever.
And so it was, Lord Jesus. And so it is forever.
I shall seek You earnestly, beloved King.
You are my life support.