Here’s a beautiful Psalm for the day. Contrary to many of today’s modern precepts, the psalmist does not remind us to reach within ourselves for that divine strength within, but rather, to reach out to the Lord. We reach out through our desperation of spirit in prayer and communing with the Lord in solitude, praise and meditation.
1 O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
The metaphor here is similar to that in Psalm 42 which states, “As a hart (deer) pants after the water brook, so pants my soul after you, O God.” Is your soul panting after God? Are you longing for God? Or have the cares of life and the abundance of riches choked or suffocated that longing within you for his presence in your life? Get up early and seek God before you start the day. The old song says “I met God in the morning, when the day was at its best, and all day long his presence lingered.” His presence will be with you throughout the day, if you seek him early. Here’s Ralph Cushman's full poem:
I met God in the morning
when the day was at its best,
And His Presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.
All day long his Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O'er a very troubled sea.
Other ships were blown and battered,
And other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them,
Brought to us a peace and rest.
Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings,
With his presence left behind.
So, I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day!
We see a similar thought in Psalm 5:3, “My voice shall you hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto you, and will look up.” Are you taking that upward look in the morning, directing your thoughts and prayers and requests to the Lord for the day?
2 To see your power and your glory, so as I have seen you in the sanctuary.
3 Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you;
4 Thus will I bless you while I live: I will lift up my hands in your name.
We often see at the music concerts the audience lifting up their hands as they sing along with the singers. The idea of lifting up our hands in praise actually comes from God’s word. In Psalm 134 we find the lines: “Behold, bless you the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.” Paul similarly admonished, “I will therefore that all men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.” (1Timothy 2:8) There is some spiritual principle in lifting up ones hands in praise unto God. Our spiritual adversary knows this truth and tries to imitate and use its function for his own worship.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips:
In five verses we can already count three times when the psalmist notes the importance of praise in our mouths and thankfulness of spirit that helps us to glorify God and overcome our adversary.
6 When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the night watches.
When you cannot sleep at night, spend time meditating on God and counting your blessing. You won’t be disappointed.
7 Because you have been my help, therefore in the shadow of your wings will I rejoice.
It has not been the psalmist’s own strength that has pulled him through or the looking for the spiritual strength within, but rather in the seeking unto God and trusting in his strength and his help. Because of his trust in the Lord, he is able to maintain a positive, praiseful spirit.
8 My soul follows hard after you: your right hand upholds me.
Again, the psalmist trusts in God for his help and does not rely on his own strength. Are you trusting in the Lord with all your heart, and leaning not to your own understanding? He promises that if you acknowledge him in all your ways, he will direct your path. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; everyone that swears by Him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
And so ends the psalm. Are you rejoicing in God? Is He your glory? Or are you speaking lies? Please choose God today. You will not be disappointed.
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