The Week of June 16, 2008

Psalm 63, 64, 65
Psalm 63
This beautiful poem/song speaks of hunger and thirst for God and the quenching of that thirst by God's presence. The Early Church valued this psalm greatly, using it as the morning psalm that introduced the reading of the Psalter. In its original form it suggests the appearance of God to the supplicant in Temple worship. This experience of the presence of God, while mystical in nature, empowers the believer to face enemies, to praise God in private, and to live in hope.

Psalm 64
This individual lament, or prayer for deliverance from enemies, is unusually detailed in laying before God the exact offences of the "evil-doers." The first six verses describe a hostile verbal attack launched upon a "righteous" one. The balance of the psalm expresses confidence in God's intervention, and details the results of God's help. In God's eyes, no evil goes unnoticed, and no crime unpunished. Such assurance grants the psalmist peace and hope.

Psalm 65
This poem has been used by Christians as a reading during the Thanksgiving Season. From beginning to end, the psalm gives thanks to God. It divides into three parts. Vv. 1-4 praise the God of the Temple, and give thanks for the forgiveness and answered prayer of God. Vv. 5-8 praise the God of the world, giving thanks for the creative power of God that rules the universe. Vv. 9-13 praise the God of the earth, giving thanks for an abundant harvest.

From My Reading:
We need the joy and delight in God which meet us in the Psalms. This is the living center of Judaism. These poets know far less reason than we for loving God. They did not know that he offered them eternal joy; still less that He would die to win it for them. Yet they express a longing for Him, for His mere presence, which comes only to the best Christians or to Christians in their best moments.
C. S. Lewis Reflections on the Psalms


My Thoughts:

My soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you;
Like a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1

The first step in spiritual growth remains the ability to recognize spiritual hunger and thirst. The restlessness; the discontent; the emptiness; the sadness; the loneliness - we are much more likely to attribute these experiences to our relationships, our work, and the "lousy breaks" that life throws our way than we are to recognize such things as symptoms of spiritual need. As such, we reach for food, drink, companionship and distracting activities to soothe our symptoms.

The Psalmist reminds us that our souls and flesh constantly thirst and faint for the Living God. No matter how hard we try, God's presence cannot be replaced by the many things that fill our time and zap our energy. In God's presence the psalmist satisfies her soul, and sings for joy. Here we learn an important lesson. First TO RECOGNIZE that our discomfort often stems from lives out of spiritual alignment! Secondly, the psalmist reminds us TO SEEK God's presence in the dry seasons of life. Jesus echoes this same thought in John's gospel, saying:

Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.
Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.
John 7:38-39

Blessings,
Pastor Stacy

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