Psalms 63 (Part I)

¹ You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.

What an excellent way to start a prayer!  "You, God, are my God".  No one else, no other thing, nothing within me.  You and You alone are my God!  David proclaims it.  He takes ownership of his faith and stands on it declaring boldly to God that He is his God.  When is the last time I told God that He was my God?  Saying that I'm His child is different.  Saying "Lord I'm Yours" is a different matter.  Yes, it's great to say, but declaring that God is Your God to Him is faith building.  It is confidence in your faith.  It brings a well up from inside of your soul that just wants to explode.  "YOU, GOD, ARE MY  GOD!"  The whole world may claim a different god, the whole world may oppose me, the whole world may even hate me, but "You, God, are my God!"  Can you feel the strength that grows inside when you claim God as your own?  Do you notice the evaporation of your fears?

God answers, "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God." (Isaiah 41:10a)  When we declare Who our God is and claim Him as our own, I am convinced that He answers.  "Do not doubt.  Do not fear.  Do not be discouraged.  I AM YOUR GOD!"  Glory to God!  Hallelujah!  Can I hear an AMEN!  Jump up and sing something! ... That's enough to make a puppy dog pull a freight train or make me want to charge hell with a cup of water.

Our heavenly Father hears us declare that He is our Father and He responds so loudly you can hear it throughout all of Creation, "I am your Father".  Wouldn't we do the same if our children proclaimed with confidence, assurance, and hearts overflowing with love that you are their father or mother?  There is no other father / mother ever that they want to claim.  You are theirs.  This is more than of course they are because I've got a birth certificate that proves it.  I was in the delivery room and watched it.  Sure, you're my son or daughter.  No, this is so very much more and we are foolish if we don't recognize its significance.

Further, "earnestly I seek You".  You are my God and I always look for You.  Jeremiah 29:13 says, "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."  In Matthew 7:7 Jesus says, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."  David is obviously looking for God with his whole heart.  "Earnestly" the NKJV says it; "I can't get enough of You" the Message puts it; "eagerly" and "early" are other descriptions by other versions.  Pursuing God is a priority, not just a checklist item to be done.  It is something our hearts must crave.  We should have an appetite for God that isn't satisfied.

"My whole being longs for You."  Another psalmist would write "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God." (Psalm 42:1)  Can you feel in your soul and spirit a longing for God?  If not, why not?  I'd couple the answer 'no' to that question with this question.  When was the last time you were broken over your sin?  Once you have cried tears over your sin and accepted the Lord's love.  You will want to grab a hold of Him and pursue more of Him.  You will long for His constant touch.

There are many reasons why, but David says it is because there is no other God.  There is nothing else.  This world and all that is here is dry and parched, its empty, and there is no life (water).  Our God is our life.  There is nothing else that can flood our soul; there is nothing else that can complete our spirit; there is nothing else that fulfills our purpose and reason to live.  

You, God, are my God.  I seek You earnestly first.  My whole being aches with urgency at its desire to be near You.  You are the only life in this desolate place.