Good morning. Let me invite you to turn to 2 Samuel chapter 15, 2 Samuel 15. That's where we'll land first this morning. And while you are turning there, 2 Samuel 15, let me ask you to consider for a moment, what does it mean to call yourself a Christian? What does it mean by the words, I am a Christian? Sadly, it can mean just about anything and everything today, yes? For example, Westboro Baptist Church cult in Kansas, they would and do call themselves Christians. They claim to speak for Christianity. I won't begin to quote Fred Phelps and his followers, but here's what Dr. Albert Moeller has said of them. Dr. Moeller says, they bring great discredit to the gospel of Christ because the message is undiluted hatred packaged as the beliefs of a church. Of course, we have many, many problems with them making such an identification as Christian. Remnants of this hate group can be found active and they're organized as close as an e-town. Another, the Mormons also claim to be Christian. And they've worked hard to confuse others by marketing this concept to the world. They call themselves the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Yet you and I both know that Jesus they promote is not the Jesus of the Bible. The Jesus they promote, they believe, is Lucifer's brother. Roman Catholics call themselves Christians as do Christian scientists, Freemasons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, Unitarians, and the list goes on and on and on. You can add faith healers and others who deny the Trinity and for many many on planet Earth. This is the only representation of Christianity, of false Christianity, that the world sees. And this is a reality in South Central PA. Every organization that I have just mentioned is represented within our valley. It's scary, isn't it? I mean, to think that this is what many would identify with the name Christian. So what does it mean to be a Christian? Well, the word itself literally means a follower of Christ, the true Christ, the Christ of the Bible. And doctrinally, we are talking about those who hold to what's on the back of your bulletin. Will you look at the back of your bulletin for a moment? The five solas. Scripture alone we go to God's Word for truth. It is our Authority our source book not the Book of Mormon not church tradition Not the Watchtower Society and certainly not the Pope Grace alone it is by God's saving grace that we have been purchased and freed from the slave market of sin faith alone this is a confident trust in the character of God and his word to believe what he says about our sin and about his son. In Christ alone, that is the sinless son of God's birth, his life, his death and resurrection, and it's all to the glory of God alone. But what does it really look like? What does it look like, you know what I mean, on the inside, to be a Christian? to be an individual who not only firmly holds to these precious promises, to these terrific truths, but whose soul thirsts for God. Now the answer can be found in our text for this morning in Psalm 63. The preview for the Savior, David, captures this for us, his cry to be nearer to his God. He wrote about half of the Psalms. And what we will examine this morning in this Psalm is to be the cry of every true Christian. But first, let's look at the backdrop of this Psalm. And it's found, hopefully you're there, in 2 Samuel 15. Now we know that this is the backdrop because our Bibles have noted, just under the heading of Psalm 63, you'll see this in a moment, that it reads a psalm of David where he was in the wilderness of Judah. So David's in the desert of Judah and this fits two times in his life. There's one set of times with Saul and another with Absalom. So he's chased by both in the wilderness and either way the lessons for us are the same but some have attempted to attribute this psalm to the times in 1st Samuel when Saul is Chasing him because David spent a good time in the desert running from King Saul if you remember first Samuel chapters 23 chapters 24 and 25 Detail this but he wasn't king during those times and yet in Psalm 63 as we will see David refers to himself at the end of it as the king so I believe that leaves us with only one option and it's here in 2nd Samuel 15 and This is where he's fleeing from Absalom. Again, this is the backdrop of Psalm 63. Absalom, his son, had turned against David. He had garnered a following and risen up against the leader of Israel. Absalom leads a revolt and he drives King David from Jerusalem. And so David here, he's literally running for his life. He most certainly felt alone in this cave and this wilderness around the Dead Sea. But needless to say, he was lonely. This man was tired. This man had to be scared. And he was certainly struggling in what would be his wilderness experience. It was a time of terrible trial for David. And we read of it here in 2 Samuel 15. Look with me, beginning in verse one. Now it came about after this. Well, I have to stop there because after this is chapter 14 verse 33. This is speaking of David restoring his son to a position of prominence. It says, now it came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and 50 men as runners before him. Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a suit, this is a lawsuit, to come to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, from what city are you? And he would say, your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel. Then Absalom would say to him, see, your claims are good and right, but no man listens to you on the part of the king. Verse four, moreover, Absalom would say, oh, that one would appoint me judge in the land. Then every man who has any suit or cause could come to me and I would give him justice. And when a man came near to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. In this manner, Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment. And here it is. So Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel. Look again at that. This is David's own son. Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel. This is exactly what happened. Jump to verse 13. Then a messenger came to David saying, the hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom. Verse 14, David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, arise and let us flee for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go in haste or he will overtake us quickly and bring down calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword. Verse 28, David speaking to Zadok the priest, he says, I am going to wait at the fords of the wilderness, this is the wilderness of Judah, until word comes from you to inform me. Verse 30, and David went up and it says he wept as he went, his head was covered, he walked barefoot. All of this symbolizing his shameful exile. And this is our context this morning. This is when I believe David wrote Psalm 63. Now you can turn there. Would you turn with me to Psalm 63? Here, David is away from the ark of God in the formal place of worship, the tabernacle. The temple has yet to be built. and he's here hiding. Everything the King of Israel has received and recognized as part of leading God's people is again at risk, including here his very life. And so now as we read this in its entirety, take note of what David is longing for here, for what his prayer is, this outpouring of his heart. What is it in Psalm 63 that David is aiming at? Look at these 11 verses with me. Oh God, you are my God. I seek you, I shall seek you earnestly. My soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus, I have seen you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory. Because your loving kindness 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 marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember you on my bed, I meditate on you in the night watches, for you have been my help. And in the shadow of your wings, I sing for joy. My soul clings to you. your right hand upholds me but those who seek my life to destroy it will go into the depths of the earth they will be delivered over to the power of the sword they will be a prey for foxes but the king the king will rejoice in God everyone who swears by him will glory for the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped Psalm 63. So this morning we wanna think about this idea of thirsting for God. And as we do, it's my prayer that you'd be encouraged as a believer in Jesus Christ. That you would be reminded from this text before us what it really means to be a Christian from the inside. How is it that the Christian soul is the thirst after God? Perhaps this text will help you in whatever trials that you may be experiencing or will experience in this new year. But first here, what does it mean to thirst? What does it mean to thirst if you're following along in your bulletin? Psalm 42 verses one and two read this, says, the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, oh God. My soul, here it is, thirsts for God. And I love this phrase, it then says, for the living God, for the living God. I love that distinction. This title, living God, occurs in only at one other place, and it's in Psalm 84. Psalm 84, verse two reads, my soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Psalm 143, six, I stretch out my hands to you. My soul longs for you as a parched land, conveying this idea of thirst. Isaiah 55, one, come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters. And if that wasn't enough, Jesus said in John 7, 37, if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Pastor Dave recently preached on the Beatitudes, where Jesus declares in Matthew 5, 6, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. And Leanne just read for us this morning from Revelation 21. Did you catch the reference in there to thirsting? Even in heaven, we will continue to drink from the waters of eternal life, from the fountain of God. We will continue to drink and be satisfied. Throughout the Bible, we are seeing a physical condition that is described as a spiritual one. Again, if you're taking notes in your bulletin, thirsting in the Bible is a physical condition applied to a spiritual one. a physical condition that is applied to a spiritual one. What is it like to be truly thirsty? Well, it produces all kinds of physical discomforts, right? A dry throat, chapped lips, signs of dehydration, your muscles begin to cramp, where your entire body is crying out for water. Not for Pepsi Zero, but for water. As I've gotten much older, I have come to realize how important it is for me to stay hydrated. I take a bottle of water everywhere I go. And a number of you do as well. We also use the word thirst for other aspects of the mind and body. He has a thirst for knowledge, right? She has a thirst for beauty, even a thirst for success. But this is not a natural thirst we're talking about. It is a supernatural one, not a natural thirst, a supernatural one. Just like a thirst for milk is a sign of physical life, a thirst for God is one of the first signs of a spiritual life. The newborn baby thirsts for his mother's milk from the power of an irresistible instinct. And so it is with a born again child of God, one born from above, that soul, that person thirsts as a result of the indwelling spirit of God. They too have an irresistible instinct, desiring at first the milk of the word of God. Back to Psalm 63 here, David is physically thirsty. He is, he's in a dry and weary land where there is no water. But it is in this wilderness experience that there is an even greater thirst that is taking place within his soul. It is a thirst for God. Again, this is a supernatural thirst. Verse one, it's the mark of a believer. There is a relationship that's noted here, a receiving of saving grace. Look at these words in verse one. Oh God, you are my God. God has transformed the New Testament believer from a person opposed to him to a new creature who loves him. From one who has heard the very general call of the gospel to receiving an effectual call that regenerates his very soul. This person has learned of his own sinfulness before a holy God who demands perfection. He knows something of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the one who lived a perfect life to earn our righteousness, the one who died an agonizing death to pay our penalty, the one who arose from the grave as evidence of this victory, his victory over sin and death. And you cannot, you will not have this kind of thirst for God without first having experienced a conversion. An awakening to the truth about God and yourself. That he is holy and that you are not. So the person who thirsts supernaturally possesses here a repentant faith. A repentant faith. Their assent to the information of the gospel is not enough. They need to repent. They must repent. Sinclair Ferguson describes this repentance as a change of mind that leads to a change of lifestyle. Puritan Thomas Watson notes that repentance is a grace of God's spirit whereby a sinner, get this, is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed. John MacArthur offers an even more nuanced definition here. He says, it is a redirection of the human will, a purposeful decision to forsake all unrighteousness and pursue righteousness instead. But not only must they repent, they must have faith. They must have a confident trust in the character of God to believe what He says. And it's this kind of faith that trusts in God's verdict about your sin and a trust in His promise about what Christ has done to rescue and redeem you from it. Because Christians are new people. their new creations with a spiritual appetite for the glory of God through him and his word. They can't get enough. I'm still only in verse one. They thirst in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Their soul spiritually thirsts and their body spiritually yearns. Friends, are you here this morning at church to fulfill a spiritual duty or to satisfy a spiritual appetite. May it be the latter, a true thirst for God. You know, in the days of reformation and revival, we read of those souls that had such a thirst for God, a Davidic kind of thirst for God, born out of really the Psalms. And one such man, I don't know if you know this, was Martin Luther. His supernatural thirst was well known during the Protestant Reformation, something that we recognized not too long ago, 500 years, the end of October. And while you've heard much about this man with the publishing, because of 500 years, the publishing of a number of books on his life, what you may not know about this man is his study of the Book of Psalms, because it was both significant and satisfying in his life. The first book Martin Luther ever taught, verse by verse, It was the book of Psalms. The moment he received his doctorate from the University of Wittenberg, two years in the classroom, he spent as professor of Bible, teaching through the Psalms. The first book Martin Luther ever wrote on was on the book of Psalms. It was a collection of his lectures. And it was the second time that he was teaching through the book of Psalms in the classroom, in the midst of doing so, that he was converted to faith in Jesus Christ. Through the book of Psalms. Steve Lawson states it this way, he says that, in many ways, the book of Psalms was plowing up the soil of his heart so that the seed of Romans could be placed into his soul, if you know anything about Martin Luther. And it was the book of Psalms that he was meditating on in 1527 when he wrote, A Mighty Fortress is Our God. He was hooked by Psalm 46 on that, verse one, God is our refuge and strength of very present help and trouble. One more here, just one more. There is an encyclopedia of his works. Pastors lust over this. It's a 70-volume set, Luther's works. He committed, not one, not two, not three, not four, five volumes to the book of Psalms, dedicated to the book of Psalms. And here's what he wrote about Psalm 63, Martin Luther. There is not a more vehement prayer in all the Psalms than this one. nor one that contains so many earnest repetitions. And there is not one more necessary or wholesome for all of us at this day, nor ever has been, nor ever will be. Let the godly Christians first and great concern be to pray unto God most earnestly, according to the example that is given in this Psalm. And so here we are. in such an important soul-satisfying book, reading on what it looks like to have this kind of thirst for God. So how do we thirst for God? How do we thirst for God? We wanna note this morning four examples from the psalm in which David's greatest concern is his, get this, his distance from God. Remember, he's riding on the run, but he's not whining about his exhaustion as he seeks to avoid execution. He's not preoccupied with the pressure he's under. No, here in this Psalm, he gives us four examples of what a supernatural thirst looks like for a Christian soul. What does it look like for the Christian to have deepening affections for the one who has saved his soul? I mean, if you were in the spiritual operating room, if we could open your ribcage and we could look upon the innermost being of your soul, your heart, would we see a growing, intense, impassioned love for God? Look, before we unpack these 11 verses this morning, it must be said, Jesus will never, he will never, ever, never settle for second place in your love life. You are to have a supreme love for him, a superior love. Listen to his words in Matthew 10. Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me and he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me he who has found his life will lose it and he who has lost his life for my sake will find it our lord's point his his point is that we are to love him more than them more than others more than any other and this love for god It must be marked by these four examples, at least these four examples that are found in Psalm 63. These are just four ways that we can have a thirst for God. And I'm gonna give them to you this morning in the form of four questions. These are questions you can ask yourself to examine your heart by God's word. And the first one here is in verses one and two. Is God my priority? Is God my priority? Look at these words again. Oh God, you are my God. I shall seek you earnestly. David begins with a relationship here. You are my God. This word makes it very personal. My God. He's my God. David's not simply stating that he knows a few facts about God. Or even that he believes in God. He is passionately declaring a reality that is unlike any other. You are my God. He's locked in. There's a stated pursuit by God, by David after God and his word. He says, and I shall seek you earnestly. The word earnestly is found in some translations as early, particularly the King James and New King James. And in the Hebrew, the word expresses a seeking in the dawn, or better yet, rising early. And the idea here is this, I will begin my day with God before I truly begin it with anybody else. Don't get too distracted by the time of the day here. Instead, hone in on the priority that God takes in your life. I shall seek you earnestly. Seek, implying here that you are taking the initiative as a believer in Jesus Christ. You will spend time with Him first. And you'll do so because you're in a relationship with Him. And it's your greatest relationship. Again, it's supreme. It's superior to all others. Is God your priority? This is a question that is looking for passion in your spiritual life, not passive, but passion. There's a dramatic difference between the two. As you live out your days, are you seeking God in prayer? Are you seeking God in his word? Are you seeking God in worship and fellowship with others? This is the thirst David has written about. I mean, how many Christians do you know who have reordered, have truly reordered their private world to make him not a priority, but the priority in their lives? Think about it. It's a sad day for us in that we must confess that there's no one in this building, there's no one in here this morning that has the same soul thirst for God that David is declaring. I, it is personal, shall, it is committal, seek, it is intentional. At the dawn, at the beginning of the day, can you say that God is your priority? Listen to Deuteronomy 4.29. You will seek the Lord your God and you will find him if you search for him with all your heart and all your soul. It's an earnest seeking here. One that's predicated upon a relationship. You are a believer and you are not searching around in the dark, groping as if you're blind and ignorant of his promises. No, you know him. You're his. And you have determined to grow in your relationship with him. Hosea 10, 12 says, it is time to seek the Lord. There's an urgency here is you don't wanna waste these precious days that God has given you. It's time to step up. It's time to make the necessary changes. In fact, look at verse two of this Psalm. Thus, I have seen you in the sanctuary. Again, remember, this is not the temple. This is a tabernacle. The temple is not built yet. To see your glory, your power and your glory. to see your power and your glory. David, at some point in his life, much like Isaiah did, that's recorded in Isaiah 6, he had a God-awareness moment. The eyes of his heart were opened to see the holiness of God, and it changed him forevermore. Do you remember your God-awareness moment? when you began to see all of his divine perfections, his love, his mercy, his justice, his power, his glory. Because if you've come to faith in Christ, then your life will be dramatically changed, much like it had for David here. Are you preaching the gospel to yourself daily? Are you beginning your days with God? Brothers and sisters, don't become callous to the saving grace that was bestowed in your life from above. Spiritually thirst, spiritually yearn for the one true God and make Him your priority. Number two here, verses three through five. Is God my praise? Is God my praise? Not only is God my priority, but is He my praise? Is God my praise? Look at the beginning of verse three. I love this verse. You will wanna mark this. Verse three, because your loving kindness is better than life. Did you catch that? The love of God is better than life. the unconditional, unending, and unwavering love of God, it is better than life. David is moved to praise God. He knew that the love of God was with him no matter his circumstances, through thick and thin, good times and bad, whether he was serving in the royal court or suffering in the rugged wilderness, the loving kindness of God is far better than life. Circumstances, they may change, But the love of God, oh no, it has changed less. And it was God's love that nourished and refreshed David spiritually more than the water he needed physically. And this is why David's praise can't be contained. He says, because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips will praise you. If you want one verse to walk out of here with today, just one verse, Please let it be Psalm 63, three, because your loving kindness is better than life. My lips will praise you. Do you really believe that today? Remember where David began this morning in second Samuel 15. Remember here, the context of the statement, David is in danger for his life by his own son and likely because of his own sin. But what does he do? He praises God. for his love. So no matter your circumstances, this example is the one we must follow. Regardless of your age, Christian, refocus, recalibrate, praise him, especially in your darkest moments. And I believe this will keep your soul clinging to God. It will put your circumstances in perspective. And it'll also be your testimony to a watching world. Don't forget that. Look, if you desire to see your children, grandchildren, friends, neighbors, co-workers, all that you come into contact with, to know of the loving kindness of the Lord, that in the ages to come, His name might be on their lips, then praise Him with your lips. How important is the steadfastness, loving kindness of God? Is there anything you would substitute there instead? of better than life itself? I would hope not. We need to praise him. And do so like David in verse four. He says, as long as, and we'll put our name in there, as long as you live. As long as you live. But not just with your lips and word and song, but with your hands in prayer. David continues in verse four here. He says, I will lift up my hands in your name. This is a proof text for worship, isn't it? You know what I'm saying? But this actually is not dealing with that. This is a traditional posture for prayer. It's like this, your hands are out and your palms are up. That's what David is saying here. It's a wonderful way to show dependence and trust to God. David would praise him with his lips and his hands. The point is here that he's going to praise him publicly and privately. Publicly and privately. Is this you? Is God your praise or are your circumstances your cry? Verse five, my soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness. This is alluding to a rich banquet feast. Imagine here an incredible meal, whatever appeals to your appetite and would satisfy your thirst and it's there for the consuming. But David isn't talking about his physical perspective. He's using an illustration here for how he feels spiritually, regardless of his circumstances. Look, I will praise you, Lord, as if my table looked like a Thanksgiving meal with friends and family. because that is how I feel about your loving kindness towards me. I am fat and full and overflowing with praise. My soul's appetite is satisfied. We just sang a song talking about this. You are more than enough. You are more, you are amazing. Is God your praise? He should be. Don't you wanna have the heart of David? I wanna live like this, fully and spiritually satisfied, kind of walking with a supernatural step. And the truth is that the Christian soul should walk and talk like this, knowing that for all eternity, our souls will be satisfied by the bread of life, by Jesus Christ. And they'll be quenched by his living water, the Holy Spirit. And they'll be filled with the meat of the word, the word of God. So as we begin our days, Each and every day, time with God and his word, this should be our priority. And his loving kindness should be our praise. So first is, is God my priority? Second, is God my praise? And third here, verses six through eight, is God my preoccupation? Is God my preoccupation? I'm speaking here of meditation on the things of God. You know, we have lost the art of thinking. We certainly have lost making time to meditate on God. Our attention has become captured by the unimportant. You know what I mean? Exercising the thumb, right? Verse six, when I remember you on my bed, by the way, we've gone from beginning to now ending our days. When I remember you on my bed, I meditate on you in the night watches. Those night watches that David's referring to are the guard duties that would change out every four hours. David mentions this also in Psalm 119, 148. He says, my eyes anticipate the night watches that I may meditate on your word. When I'm about to end my day, do I, do you look forward to remembering his mercies? If I can't sleep, I shouldn't reach for Facebook. I should reach for the book, the Bible. And I meditate on your word. But you say, hey, Pastor Flip, I can't sleep. You don't understand, I have a lot weighing on my mind. Well, as best as you can, as best as is humanly possible, give those thoughts to God. And write this verse down, Colossians 3.2. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. There's to be an obsession with God, a preoccupation with Him. Philippians 4.8, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if there's anything worthy of praise, we are to dwell on these things. But you know, it's our fallen human nature to think on anything other than God. Look at verse seven. for you have been my help. Shame on us. How could we think about anything else? Do you know what I'm saying? Keep a journal if you're forgetting of how he has seen you through your wilderness experiences and how he has been your help. And then when you're down and distraught, pull it out. Become preoccupied with what he has done. Be reminded that no one has cared for you as carefully as God has. No one has loved you with the kind of love God has. No one has saved you as securely as God has, and no one freed you as freely as God has, amen? Verse seven continues. In the shadow of your wings, I sing for joy. It's like a bird under the wing of its mother, or an infant held by its parent. David's meditation is on the protection he has and continues to receive from his God. It's as if he's recalling the times in his life, and there are many in which God intervened by placing David, by placing David in the shadow of his omnipotent wings. And David recognizes this in verse eight when he says, my soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me, clings. This is the same word used to describe the close relationship between a husband and a wife. And it's interesting here. My soul clings to you. Your right hand upholds me, so I'm clinging. Oh, I'm clinging. But God, he's holding me with his right hand. He's holding me with his right hand while I do so. He is the one that's keeping me there. It's a reference to God's power. This is the power that David knew in his own life. There's a present preoccupation with God here. Do you see it? Paul was struck with the same kind of preoccupation of God. Philippians 3.10, he says, that I may know him and the power, there it is, the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. And David writes here, my soul clings to you. Your right hand upholds me. What a beautiful picture, yes? Here's what the Puritan Richard Sibbes had to say about this. Richard Sibbes, he said, we are more safe in God's comprehending of us than in our clasping and holding of him. As we say of the mother and child, both hold, but the safety of the child is that the mother holds him. Christian. Are you preoccupied with the might and wonder of your God? David was, and I love how he keeps himself accountable in a way here by writing down these thoughts for us. He says, my soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me. The Hebrew here literally means my soul has determined to stick close behind you. David's intent on staying glued to God and his word. He's saying, I don't want the ways of the world, I don't want him. I don't wanna be seduced by the stupid. I don't want to be used by the useless. No, his soul is thirsty for God. How about yours? First, is God my priority? Second, is God my praise? Third, is God my preoccupation? And third and finally here, verses nine through 11, is God my portion? Is God my portion? Let me reread these verses here. But those who seek my life to destroy it will go into the depths of the earth. They will be delivered over to the power of the sword. They will be a prey for foxes. But the king will rejoice in God. Everyone who swears by him will glory. For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped. You know, this is David's current situation. It's what drove him out to the wilderness. Absalom and his followers, they're on a, Search and destroy mission, right? But David speaks in the past tense here with confidence that they will go into the depths of the earth, be delivered over to the power of the sword, be a prey for foxes, literally a portion for jackals in the desert. Imagine this, their bodies having no proper burial. They'd be left exposed and wild animals would tear them apart. It's the ultimate disgrace. And David's saying that the Lord will preserve him, preserve him in this situation. That God is his confidence. He will receive all he needs from him, for he is his portion. God is his portion. He's saying God is the one who will deliver them over. God is the one who will stop the mouths of those speaking lies and God is the one the king will rejoice in. David's referencing himself here. And others will follow with the same loyalty. Everyone who swears by him will glory. He is confident in his God regardless of his circumstances. Lamentations 3. Jeremiah echoes these words when he writes, Therefore, I have hope. The Lord's loving kindnesses, indeed, never cease, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness, and here it is, the Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore, I have hope in him. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the person, by the way, this is to the believer who seeks him. So whether you're feeling paralyzed by some trial or perhaps you, Sadly, been poisoned by some kind of experience. A soul-cleansing and satisfying thirst is only made possible by looking to God. It's the only way. There's an old saying that a tree is best measured when it is down. Have you heard that before? A tree is best measured when it is down. And when a life is down, we can truly measure its significance. And this is certainly true of the great King David. I mean, he's the only one in scripture to be called a man after God's own heart, right? And he certainly was. I mean, in battle, he had an invincible confidence. In decisions, he showed great wisdom. In times of loneliness, I would say he displayed great trust. But just like you and me, we need to note that he was far from perfect. If you know anything about the life of David, there's his lust as a husband, his failures as a father, his problems as a leader, and it's only really after the consequences, when they come, that we truly get a glimpse of the other side of David. And here it is in Psalm 63 as one example for us. It's a Psalm such as this one that we can begin to understand why he was called by God a man after God's own heart. Why? Because David thirsted. His Christian soul thirsted after God. He was thirsty. And a thousand years later, the Lord Jesus said the same thing on the cross. Do you remember this? I thirst. The source of the river of living water was thirsty. How can this be? How so? How could Jesus be thirsty? Because he was thirsty on our behalf. For the one who is truly God was also truly man. And this sinless man Jesus asked to have his thirst satisfied in order to satisfy scriptures that they would be fulfilled. But sinful man, they saw it as an opportunity perhaps to prolong his torture, his death on the cross. but we know that never happened. It was all taking place according to the sovereign plan of God. In fact, you can take much of what we covered this morning in Psalm 63, and you can apply it directly to the cross. Think about this for a moment. There on the cross, Jesus was acting to protect us under the shadow of his wings, and his wings were stretched out. It was that thirst which caused him who knew no sin to be made sin on our behalf, that we might be the righteousness of God. And it was in the power of God's right hand that the father would raise Jesus up on the third day. Why? To show to all that this sacrifice for sin was not only finished, but it satisfied his wrath. to deliver all who would believe in Christ, all who would believe in His substitution. And this is what ultimately satisfies the soul of every Christian. Nothing, nothing else will do. I pray this text has encouraged you, regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of your walk with God. Again, our time with God and His word, they need to be our priority. Is God your priority? His loving kindness should be our praise. Is God your praise? And as a true believer, as a Christian, you call yourself a Christian, will you be meditating on the things of God? Is He your preoccupation? For if you are indeed thirsty for God in this way, then you can't help but say that He is my portion. Let us pray. Glorious Father in heaven, there is a gratitude that every believer feels after reading a text such as this. A soul-searching and thirsting psalm like this. Father, may we thirst to know you more because of your loving kindness to us, which is greater than living. It is greater than life itself. And as we leave these 11 verses of Psalm 63 this morning, may we leave with a greater thirst for you. Thank you for pointing us ultimately to the one and only soul quencher. For Jesus Christ should be our only priority, our only praise, and our only portion we need forevermore. Father, we desire that our lives would overflow with worship. And so we pray that you would fill us with gratitude, that we would be motivated by this supernatural thirst, this sincere love for you. May all our conduct be worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. May every aspect of our lives bring you honor and glory to our savior. It is in his name that we pray, amen.