Psalm 63:1-8
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
My dad was my athletic hero when I was a kid. He was an all-state football player, a state champion sprinter, and the holder of several records at my high school.
I have always been an athlete, and I loved playing football. But, obviously, I was not exactly purpose-built for it.
I took some huge hits as a returner, running back, and defensive back. I remember one kickoff return where I was hit so hard that I saw what looked like sparks in my field of vision.
Needless to say, it was hard. But it was in that difficulty that I learned about myself. I learned courage. I learned resilience. I learned my limits, too.
All of us eventually learn our limits. We end up in a desert like David in this psalm: thirsty, hungry, and at a loss for what to do or where to go next.
In those moments, we would do well to remember David’s confession: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” In Psalm 63, David is not speaking from comfort. He is in a dry and weary place, where survival itself feels uncertain. Yet he names God’s steadfast love as better than life—not because life is bad, but because even the best parts of life cannot finally carry us.
Being the star of the football team.
Making a lot of money in our work.
Becoming known for our artistic talent.
As good as all of these things can be, they pale in comparison to the love of God. God’s love preceded us, surrounds us now, and carries us into eternity in a way that none of these other good gifts ever could.
I love Pat Barrett’s song “Better,” because it gives language to the same truth David is praying in Psalm 63. Today, let that refrain become your prayer: Lord, your love is better than all these things. What would change if you pursued success, beauty, influence, approval, and achievement only after first resting in God’s love for you?
Prayer prompt: Name one good thing you are tempted to treat as ultimate today—success, money, approval, reputation, comfort, or control. Then pray: God, thank you for this good gift, but teach my heart again that your love is better than life and better than all these things.
– Pr. Jason
God, thank you for the good gifts in my life. Teach my heart again that your love is better than life. Amen.
