Lent 2010 #15

Psalm 63:1-8

1 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.

3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.

7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

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

THOUGHTS: 

The very poetry in this psalm appeals to me.

Verse 1 "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you,"

The imagery of seeking God reminds me of a beautiful Michael W. Smith song built around the metaphor of a game of Hide and Seek.

"Of my young heart beating fast behind the willow tree


I was counting out loud, and I only peeked a time or two


And the only purpose in my life was finding you


Singing, "Ollie, Ollie, everybody free!"


Now was I chasing you or were you chasing me?"

Verse 1 continues "My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water."

I have thirsted for completeness before- have you? Sometimes our lives can leave us so empty, so broken. We can try to make it on our own, but ultimately fall down again.

"We all grow up and put away our childhood games


But deep inside I wonder if we really change


'Cause I'm still seeking, though I've learned to hide so well

And I can still remember how it felt


Singing, "Ollie, Ollie everybody free!"


Will I ever find someone pursuing me?

Verses 3-4 "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you- I will praise you as long as I live and in your name I will lift up my hands!"

How wonderful is it that we are pursued! How beautiful is it to be loved by our Creator so unconditionally. How can we keep from singing at this knowledge?

"And then you caught me by surprise

I found my tears are in your eyes

I hear my heart inside of you

At last I've found somebody who


Can free my soul


And love me too"

Verses 5-6 "My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.  On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night."

At last, we are full. At last, we are satisfied. We are the free and beloved children of God- oh how blessed are we!

"I can't believe we hide so long and run so well


When all the while we're aching to be caught and held


But it's only in surrender that our freedom comes


And so I run abandoned to your waiting arms


Singing, "Ollie, Ollie everybody free!


I belong to you and you belong to me!"

Verses 7-8 "Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me."

When we run into his arms and are covered "in the shadow of his wings," truly we can do anything. We are part of his family, now and forever. We belong and will never be alone.

And we are free. : )

Excerpts from Michael W. Smith, Everybody Free 

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Thoughts by Rachael Dickson, senior history major, happy member of Lutheran Campus Ministry at GMU

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These devotions for young adults are provided by:

Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran

Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/

DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/

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