Showing posts with label Psalm 63. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 63. Show all posts
Monday, April 6, 2026
Psalm Meditation 1347
¶Second Sunday of Easter
¶April 12, 2026
¶Psalm 63
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2063&version=NRSVUE
¶The first line of this psalm makes an excellent focus verse. It serves to remind me that a relationship with God is something worth seeking, especially in times when a thirst for meaning bigger than myself is important. Those dry, wearying times seem to suck the life out of us and leave us needing something more than we have. In claiming and seeking God, we acknowledge that God is a presence who nourishes and sustains us in every circumstance.
¶Saying that God is my God can be taken a couple of ways. In one interpretation God is seen as a possession that is under my control, at my beck and call to do anything and everything I desire of a divine power. In another interpretation God is mine in a relationship of mutuality. God is present with me offering steadfast love in every time and place and I continually seek to follow the ways of God as faithfully as humanly possible. In that mutuality we are both fed a rich feast of loving companionship. I prefer the latter interpretation.
¶God chooses to be present in our lives, even when we are unable/unwilling to sense that presence. God upholds us in times of need and celebrates with us in times of joy. God’s presence does not destroy our enemies so much as standing with us helps remove the fear our enemies intend for us to feel. “So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.”
¶April 6, 2026
¶LCM
Monday, January 16, 2023
Psalm Meditation 1179
¶Third Sunday After the Epiphany
¶January 22, 2023
¶Psalm 63
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+63&version=NRSVUE
(NRSV)
¶The first line of this psalm has been my prayer phrase for most of my adult life. Sometimes it is a statement of fact, I am currently seeking God so that I can come closer to serving God with my whole heart and life. Other times it is and aspirational statement. When I feel as if I have wandered away, it is a reminder to reconnect to God. In dark times it serves as a challenge. I want God to be my God, and I want to seek God, however I feel so far away that it is a nearly impossible task.
¶The rest of the psalm fills in the spaces of my attitude and energy. I find reason to praise God, to feel as if I am the guest at a rich feast of delicious, sweet and savory things that fill me to contentment. I may be close to or far away from my host, however I am present at the banquet. Other times I feel as if I am being chased down for destruction by adversaries and enemies. At those times I call on God to turn the tables on my pursuers so that they are the prey in God’s hunt. Even then, I am reminded in some way that God does not feed my enemies to the jackals, any more than I am fed to the jackals to satisfy them. The love of God is steadfast, not just for me and people like me, the steadfast love of God is for each of us.
¶God is good, and God is with us. When we seek God as a source of love, comfort, and inspiration to do and be our best God is there. When we wander off in pursuit of our own way God is present, inviting us into the way of life, love, and wholeness. God is with us when we know it and when we don’t. God is with us when we like it and when we don’t. God is with us when we believe it and when we don’t. “O God, you are my God; I seek you.”
¶January 16, 2023
¶LCM
Monday, July 9, 2018
Psalm Meditation 943
Proper 10
July 15, 2018
Psalm 63
1 O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
6 when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword, they shall be prey for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
(NRSV)
Most days it is possible to make it through the day without giving much thought to what a gift family and friends are. We take them for granted because they have always been around and we expect them to continue being around. And then something happens. Something monumental happens. Something that brings us to the realization that these people are a special group of people. It may be an addition to the group or a loss within the group that helps us realize how special and important each person is to this group of people.
We do this with God as well. We go on our merry way, knowing that God will always be around and will be somewhere between present and distant in our lives. And something happens. We experience God as particularly present or absent for us. The psalmist discovers that the presence of God is something worth seeking. I get a sense that the psalmist is approaching from a distance, looking in with longing to where God is. Having discovered a desire for God the psalmist approaches with a new appreciation for all the ways God has been and can be present.
When we decide to seek God we discover that the presence of God is a rich feast for our souls and senses. We find that God has been present far longer than we realized at the time. God has been supporting us in ways that were once outside our awareness. Our gratitude is deepened and we look for other ways God has been watching over us and holding us up in the trials and triumphs of our lives. We find ourselves saying with the psalmist, “O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
July 9, 2018
LCM
Proper 10
July 15, 2018
Psalm 63
1 O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
6 when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword, they shall be prey for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
(NRSV)
Most days it is possible to make it through the day without giving much thought to what a gift family and friends are. We take them for granted because they have always been around and we expect them to continue being around. And then something happens. Something monumental happens. Something that brings us to the realization that these people are a special group of people. It may be an addition to the group or a loss within the group that helps us realize how special and important each person is to this group of people.
We do this with God as well. We go on our merry way, knowing that God will always be around and will be somewhere between present and distant in our lives. And something happens. We experience God as particularly present or absent for us. The psalmist discovers that the presence of God is something worth seeking. I get a sense that the psalmist is approaching from a distance, looking in with longing to where God is. Having discovered a desire for God the psalmist approaches with a new appreciation for all the ways God has been and can be present.
When we decide to seek God we discover that the presence of God is a rich feast for our souls and senses. We find that God has been present far longer than we realized at the time. God has been supporting us in ways that were once outside our awareness. Our gratitude is deepened and we look for other ways God has been watching over us and holding us up in the trials and triumphs of our lives. We find ourselves saying with the psalmist, “O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
July 9, 2018
LCM
Monday, December 22, 2014
Psalm Meditation 758
First Sunday After Christmas
December 28, 2014
Psalm 63
1 O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
6 when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword, they shall be prey for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
(NRSV)
Every now and then we feel lost and separated from God. In those times we may find ourselves running around desperately searching for some track or trail that will lead us back into the presence of God. It almost seems that the more desperately we search the less likely we are to find any evidence that God is anywhere near us. We forget the advice we give to children, ‘as soon as you realize you are lost, stop so that we can come to you. You will be much easier to find if you stay in one place.’
Once we exit panic mode we can rest quietly, look around and notice that God continues to be present with us. It may be a small and inconspicuous presence but present none the less. Wherever we are when we rediscover that God is with us is likely to become a sacred space, a sanctuary for us. The sense of relief that we are not really, and never have been, alone makes the space where we find ourselves a holy space and life is good. It may be a physical place that becomes holy and it may be an internal space that renews our sense of holiness.
The fears and doubts that have stood as obstacles for us can be brushed aside and left to shrivel and die. The next time doubts and fears rise against us we can resist a bit more readily as we relax and rest into the assurance that while we may be lost, we are not abandoned. The presence of God surrounds us, shadows and shields us even in the times we are least sure of that God is with us. Our seeking and thirsting becomes less agitated and more focused on waiting than on scurrying about as if we can find God by the content of our busy-ness.
December 22, 2014
LCM
First Sunday After Christmas
December 28, 2014
Psalm 63
1 O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
6 when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword, they shall be prey for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
(NRSV)
Every now and then we feel lost and separated from God. In those times we may find ourselves running around desperately searching for some track or trail that will lead us back into the presence of God. It almost seems that the more desperately we search the less likely we are to find any evidence that God is anywhere near us. We forget the advice we give to children, ‘as soon as you realize you are lost, stop so that we can come to you. You will be much easier to find if you stay in one place.’
Once we exit panic mode we can rest quietly, look around and notice that God continues to be present with us. It may be a small and inconspicuous presence but present none the less. Wherever we are when we rediscover that God is with us is likely to become a sacred space, a sanctuary for us. The sense of relief that we are not really, and never have been, alone makes the space where we find ourselves a holy space and life is good. It may be a physical place that becomes holy and it may be an internal space that renews our sense of holiness.
The fears and doubts that have stood as obstacles for us can be brushed aside and left to shrivel and die. The next time doubts and fears rise against us we can resist a bit more readily as we relax and rest into the assurance that while we may be lost, we are not abandoned. The presence of God surrounds us, shadows and shields us even in the times we are least sure of that God is with us. Our seeking and thirsting becomes less agitated and more focused on waiting than on scurrying about as if we can find God by the content of our busy-ness.
December 22, 2014
LCM
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