Weekly Reflection – Seeking God’s Presence

God, You are my God; I shall be watching for You; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and exhausted land where there is no water. So have I seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and glory. Because Your favor is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with fat and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

— Psalm 63:1-5

David endured hard times in the barren wilderness of the Judean desert as a result of persecution at the hands of Saul (1 Samuel 23:14-15; 24:1), whom God had rejected as king, and when his defiant son, Absalom, tried to forcibly take his throne (2 Samuel 15:13-23). Both situations were heartbreaking indeed. Yet, this anointed king writes that no matter his state, his intimate relationship with God is what continually satisfies his soul. David sees the Almighty as His bedrock, the foundation upon which all else rests.

Although various people sought to kill him, his thoughts were centered on God’s goodness and His past deliverance—this belief alone was what brought him peace. David writes that his constant meditation on the Lord gives him assurance that His mighty right hand will continue to deliver him for the Lord’s lovingkindness is better than life.