The superscript to Psalm 63 says,”when he was in the wilderness of Judah.” Wilderness times are often times of testing. Israel was tested in the wilderness. When they encounter hunger and thirst in the wilderness, they grumbled. When they stood at the edge of the promised land, they did not believe that the God who had led them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm could give them the land of Canaan. Jesus was tested in the wilderness. Jesus, however, trusted in his Father and his Word.
In Psalm 63, David is in the wilderness. He prays from an attitude of trust and deep longing for God. Wilderness times often reveal the condition of our souls—what we trust in, long for, are satisfied in. In the wilderness, those things are stripped away and our souls laid bare. They are times that can detox our souls.
When we find ourselves in a wilderness time, Psalm 63:1-8 help us find satisfaction in the Lord alone. In verse 1, David makes a declaration to God:
“you are my God; earnestly I seek you.” Are you in a dry place? Declare to God that He’s your God.
In verse 2, David admits his desperation for God. David’s soul is dry and weary, his soul thirsts for God and his flesh faints for God. In the wilderness, God can reveal to us the depth of our thirst for Him.
In verses 3-8, David seeks his satisfaction in God, because his experience tells him that the Lord alone satisfies. In verse 3, David satisfies himself in God’s sanctuary presence, and in beholding his power and glory. In verse 3, he satisfies himself in God’s love, which is better than life. In verses 3-5, David finds satisfaction—body and soul— in worshipping God. In verses 5-6, God’s person satisfies David as he meditates on God in the watches of the night. In verse 7, he is satisfied in God’s protection, and in verse 8 with God’s preservation. So satisfied is David, that he exclaims, “My soul shall be satisfied as with fat and rich food.”
Friend, the Lord alone satisfies. When He brings you into the wilderness, strips away what you usually turn to for help and satisfaction, see it as a blessing. He’s teaching you how to be satisfied in Him!