Psalms 63:1-11
1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirstya land, where no water is;
2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrowb and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall fallc by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
Here the conviction which has been the inspiration of the two previous psalms reaches a consummation of expression. The song can hardly be divided, for it runs on in a continuous outpouring of praise. The singer is beset by difficulty and sadness, and yet the statement of this at the beginning and at the close, constitutes a background which throws into clearer relief the sure confidence of the soul in God.
Beginning with the affirmation, O God, Thou art my God, the singer declares his thirst in a dry land for the same visions of God he had seen in the sanctuary in former days. Immediately the song ascends to higher levels. The past is the inspiration of the present. Over all diverse and difficult circumstances it rises in triumph because it knows God. Happy indeed is the soul who is able to make sorrow the occasion of a song, and darkness the opportunity for shining. Two things are necessary for such triumph as this. These are indicated in the opening words of the psalm. First, there must be the consciousness of personal relationship, "O God, Thou art my God"; and, second, there must be earnest seeking after God: "Early will I seek Thee." Relationship must be established. Fellowship must be cultivated.