07/06/2026 - Matthew Destry

Psalm 63:1-8 … A Psalm of David. When he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,

beholding your power and glory.

Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.

So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,

and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

when I remember you upon my bed,

and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

for you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Context / exegesis

“A Psalm of David. When he was in the wilderness of Judah.”

A shepherd turned fugitive.

Verse 11: “But the king shall rejoice in God…”

“The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” (2 Samuel 15:13)

So, which one is it?

Because whichever wilderness you choose, the lesson remains the same. God keeps bringing David back to the same classroom.

Into the wild

1. The wilderness reveals our thirst

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you…” (Psalm 63:1)

1. True hunger refuses to settle for substitutes

“Earnestly I seek you…” (Psalm 63:1)

1. Hunger carries us through success and failure
2. Hunger remembers God’s faithfulness

“So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.” (v.2)

“When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night…” (v.6)

1. Hunger engages the whole person

“My lips will praise you…” (v.3)

“I will lift up my hands…” (v.4)

“My mouth will praise you…” (v.5)

“I remember you upon my bed…” (v.6)

“My soul clings to you…” (v.8)

1. God Himself is the reward

“Because your steadfast love is better than life…” (Psalm 63:3)

1. The satisfied become the sent

Am I still hungry?