# 21 2019. Dev. Psalm 63:4. Clinging! Read all of Ps. 63 The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.
Ps. 63:4 “I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”
This is the third Psalm of this series of four Psalms praying for protection, for refuge, for relief from the current situation. The current geographical place is the Judean desert putting David and his men in a condition of thirst and hunger. It is generally accepted that Absalom’s rebellion is the reason that David is in this situation. (See 2 Sa. 15:1- 18:18).
It is a personal struggle for David, between him and his beloved son and as a result most of the prayer is in the first person. This prayer was recommended as a daily prayer for followers of Jesus in the early church. It is a prayer we identify with when we have relational difficulty, when life overwhelms us, when the political situation is tentative, and when we need assurance of God’s care for us and ours.
David seeks God: “My God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you. My whole being longs for you.” David reminisces about worship in the sanctuary and on God’s power and glory he has experienced. Do we dwell on God’s grace and love we have experienced in our lives?
David does not fear death; “your love is better than life.” He doubles down as he reflects on his life: “I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” We do not need to fear death, we move from this life to life with Jesus as if we go through a door and this life prepares us for that life. David lifts up his hands in prayer and worship and I know we will be doing that a lot in God’s presence. If the Spirit moves you to raise your hands in worship or prayer by all means do so. There is a Biblical precedent to do so, mostly in the Psalms; 28:1, 63:4, 88:9, 119:48, 134:2, 141:2, 143:6, Ch.6:12-13 and 1Tm.2:8 just to mention a few. Think about how you pray and worship!
David for all his faults is completely devoted to God and God sees him “as a man after his own heart.” “On my bed I remember you; through the watches of the night, you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.” Vs.6-8 gives us David’s complete dependence and devotion to God. How much do we cling to Jesus in this life? Are we holding on for dear life? Could it only be lip service; no heart, no hands?
At the end of the prayer David trusts God to protect him from his enemies, he “will rejoice and will glory in him. This is our legacy as well, we are protected, our families are protected, we will see and now do see salvation in Christ, we will rejoice and now do rejoice and we will glory and now do glorify our God. Praise Jesus!
© cgvanwyk, all rights reserved
Heavenhigh 