But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God’s name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced (Psalm 63:11).
All will be as it should be.
God’s people will praise him, and God’s enemies will be silenced.
It’s gonna happen.
You don’t need to make it happen
Or worry that it won’t happen
Because it’s gonna happen.
So do your part (that’s the praise bit) and leave the rest to the Lord God Almighty.
He can handle it.
Happy Friday, Beloved.
They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth (Psalm 63:9).
OK, so Mafia death squads are probably not after you.
Or, maybe they are…what do I know?
Regardless of your position on somebody’s hit list, you can be sure of one thing.
You do have an Enemy.
That enemy is fierce
and implacable
and cunning
and really not very nice at all.
You also have a Protector, one whose strong hand holds you up, one who shelters you beneath his wings, one who is there when you call out to him in the depths of the night.
Fear not, Beloved. Your enemy is vastly outmatched.
Happy Thursday
My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me (Psalm 63:8).
You’re on the ice for the first time.
Your ankles are all wobbly.
Your feet will not obey.
Your legs are made of store-brand gelatin dessert.
The world spins incorrectly.
Gravity is not your friend.
The evil skates shoot out from beneath you
and you are falling
flailing
gasping
grasping.
Your hand finds another hand
big
strong
safe.
You grab hold for dear life, sinking terrified nails into willing flesh.
The hand holds you up, steadies you, guides you forward.
You will not fall while you cling to the hand that loves you.
That’s what this is.
Happy Wednesday, Beloved
Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings(Psalm 63:7).
When I read this line, I think of penguins.
I know, right?
Seriously
Penguins
You know the picture I’m talking about. You’ve seen it on nature shows. The baby penguin sits on his daddy’s feet, while Dad tucks his wings and his belly over the kiddo to keep him warm.
Yeah, that image. That is why dads have bellies.
I am aware that David probably never saw a penguin, so this is most likely not the image he was going for.
It is, however, the image that I take from this Scripture. Yes, taking Scripture out of context puts one on a slippery theological slope, but I think if David were here, he’d back me 100%.
And yes, they sing. How could they not?
Happy Tuesday, Beloved
On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night (Psalm 63:6).
Many moons ago I had a friend named James. James made it a practice to pray every night before he went to sleep. Not just a quick, “Thanks, God–Nighty-night” sort of prayer. He would painstakingly examine the day he had just spent, looking for any way in which he might have disobeyed God and repenting. Sometimes he would arrive at work exhausted from a night short on sleep and long on soul searching. While I think there may be a certain legalism mixed up in James’s approach that isn’t altogether healthy, I have always respected and admired his devotion. He had a desire to connect with God on the deepest levels. It was a desire that was, and often still is, lacking in my own life.
And what of you, Beloved? What are your thoughts as you drift off to Dreamland? When you lie awake at night, are you praising your Savior, or are you stressing over your mortgage?
I think I’m going to go back to bed and practice this verse.
Happy Monday, Beloved.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you (Psalm 63:5).
My first thought here is that you shouldn’t sing with your mouth full.
Shows you how spiritual I am.
You push back from the Fourth of July picnic table, stuffed to the gills with all the tasty num-numminess you can imagine. Burgers, dogs, potato salad, corn on the cob, apple pie…
It’s just like that, only in a spiritual sense, and without the unpleasant, bloated feeling.
We began this psalm with David crying out in need; now we see him satisfied and content. David has feasted on the knowledge of God’s love and the praise of his glory. He is full with the presence of God.
Of course, no matter how stuffed you are on Independence Day, by the following morning you’ll be ready to eat again. The hunger continues.
As it should.
Happy Thursday, Beloved. Make it a feast.
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands (Psalm 63:4).
It’s a lifetime achievement.
You get to praise the One who loved you and called you and picked you up and dusted you off and gave you a purpose and a hope and a future and a promise.
And you get to do it with every breath.
Till you drop…and after.
So
shall we
commence?
Happy Wednesday, Beloved.
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you (Psalm 63:3).
Better than life…
That means
Better than chocolate cake
Better than fuzzy socks
Better than an extra hour of sleep
Better than a hug when you need it most
Better than puppies
Better than new snow
Better than old movies
Better than getting your braces removed
Better than hitting a home run
Better than getting picked first
Better than hot chocolate on a cold morning
Better than holding a baby
Better than pinning the corsage
Better than starting a hike
Better than finishing a hike
Better than a smile aimed right at you
Better than laughing till your face hurts
Better than coming home
Actually, it’s exactly like coming home.
To stay
Happy Tuesday, Beloved
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory (Psalm 63:2).
David knew what it was to be in the presence of God.
Now he won’t settle for anything less.
You’ve felt it. The sense that you are in His presence, that the concrete or sand or deep pile carpet or pine needles or tile or fresh cut grass or hardwood floor or squeaky snow beneath your feet has just been transformed.
Has become holy ground
Sometimes it makes you weep, sometimes laugh, sometimes stand in utter stillness of body and spirit.
But always, always, always, you know it is He.
That’s good stuff.
David went to the sanctuary to be in the presence of God.
But now, the sanctuary has come to us.
It’s true. You belong to Jesus, yes?
So the Holy Spirit lives within you, yes?
So you are the temple of God.
Yes
Well, I mean, we are. It’s not just you. Don’t get carried away.
But do enjoy it.
Happy Monday, Beloved.
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1).
Have you ever been thirsty?
I mean, really thirsty?
Not, “I could sure go for a tasty caffeine-free diet soda right about now” thirsty.
More like, “I sure wish lizards could sweat, because I would lick the sweat off a lizard” thirsty.
That’s what David is describing here.
Only…you know…for God.
Beloved, I gotta tell you, I don’t feel that longing, that soul thirst, nearly as often or as intensely as I ought to.
Most of the time, I’m content with far too little of God. Read a little Bible, post my little blog, say a little prayer on my way to work…
I want more.
No, if I’m honest I should say
I want to want more.
If this is ever going to work, if I am ever going to be the man he has called me to be, I need him to do more than grant the desire of my heart.
I need him to plant the desire in my heart in the first place.
Beloved, I’m glad you’ve got it all together, because some days I’m just a mess.
But, at least I’m His mess.
Happy Friday, Beloved.