Psalm Meditation 1059 World Communion Sunday October 4, 2020 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) This is perhaps the first psalm that touched me on its own. It was the one that met me as I was wrestling with how my call to ministry was going to impact me. I had felt called for as long as I can remember, however as I was beginning to live out this call in seminary it was taking on a deeper meaning that was a bit unsettling. The first verse became a touchstone for me. I may not know what it means and how to live out my call to ministry; I can continually claim a relationship with God and seek for what that means in a given time and place. The psalmist is also seeking out a relationship with God in an ever new and changing world. When life is at the driest and dustiest the psalmist turns to God for a new definition of how to be faithful. The psalmist finds the answer in the steadfast love of God. To live in the love of God is the epitome of wealth. I understand that money was not in common use in biblical times, so wealth was defined in terms of rich food in great amounts. To be in the presence of God is akin to sitting down to a feast of the best the world has to offer. According to the psalmist, and my own experience, a relationship with God is constantly evolving and changing. As with any relationship, it is important to nurture and cultivate it if we want it to last through the various times of our lives. Some people are content with the relationship with God they have had from the beginning. Some people notice a change in their circumstances, decide that it no longer works and walk away from their relationship with God. The psalmist recommends that we see our relationship with God as a dynamic, ever-changing one that needs work, effort, and maintenance. September 28, 2020 LCM