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Summer Series on the Psalms
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Psalm 63 opens with one of Scripture's most striking images: "My soul thirsts for you. My flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." This isn't merely poetic language—it reveals something profound about what it means to be human.
The Hebrew word for "soul" here is nephesh, which carries a double meaning: it refers both to the soul and to the throat. This connection takes us back to creation itself. When God formed Adam from dust, He didn't leave him as lifeless clay. Genesis 2:7 tells us: "He breathed life into Adam's nostrils and down his throat. Adam became a living nephesh, a living soul, a living being."
This is the fundamental truth about human existence: we are creatures who need life poured into us from outside ourselves. We are not self-sufficient. We are like nestlings in a nest—helpless, with mouths wide open, dependent entirely on our parents to bring us food and sustenance. Every time we sit down hungry for a meal, every time we collapse into bed exhausted at the end of the day, we are confronted with our own limits. We are made to need. We are made to receive.
This neediness is not a flaw or a weakness introduced by sin—it is God's original design. To be human is to be a hungry, thirsty, parched, longing throat. We are designed to long for God, to crave Him, to have life poured into us from the living God, far more than we need oxygen, water, or food.
Yet we live in a culture that despises neediness. No one wants to be thought of as needy. We're uncomfortable with people who constantly need reassurance, who can't function independently, who require help. And often, we're hardest on ourselves. We think we should be stronger. We should be able to handle life on our own. We should have more faith.
But I want to invite you to make peace with this truth: you are a living, thirsty nephesh. That is what it is to be human. Don't be surprised that you're needy. Don't be surprised that you struggle or that you're not strong on your own. Don't be surprised when life is hard and you feel you have little to give.
Often when we suffer, we feel we ought to be doing better. We feel we should be able to withstand things more strongly. As Christians especially, we feel we should be reigning in life, victorious over every circumstance. But being needy is how God made us. Yes, sin sometimes makes our weakness and dependence feel more acute. Nevertheless, God designed you this way on purpose. If you feel needy today, it is not an accident. The Lord has made you this way to show you that He alone is the source of life, and you must go to Him for it.
You cannot do this on your own. You have to go to the living God for life. That is part of what it means to be human. Your soul needs Him, and He wants you to go to Him in your need every day, every hour, every moment.
But our neediness is not the whole story. David tells us something equally vital in verse 8: "My soul clings to you. Your right hand upholds me."
In our neediness and troubles, in our suffering, we can cling to the Lord. We can go to Him and hold on. David has clearly learned how to do this. Throughout his psalms, he pours out his heart to God—every fear, every doubt, every raw emotion, with no filter. He holds nothing back. And he has taught himself to cling to the Lord, especially in the watches of the night when sleep won't come, when anxiety takes over, when regrets and fears seem to multiply in the darkness.
But notice the second part of that verse: "Your right hand upholds me." This is the key. David is not forcing himself to become a stronger clinger or commanding himself to have more faith. Rather, he rests in the knowledge that he is being held.
Imagine a three-year-old girl crossing a busy road. She clings to her father's hand with all of her tiny might. But everyone knows the truth: it's not really her grip that's keeping her safe. It's her father's bigger, stronger hand holding her. That's where the strength is. That's where the protection is. That's where the safety lies.
In Scripture, God's right hand is always associated with two things: His almighty power and His blessing. It is God's right hand that shatters His enemies and wins His victories. But it is also God's right hand that He stretches out to protect, hold, and bless those He loves.
In fact, God's right hand is often a title for Jesus Himself—the one whom God stretches out into the world to win His victories and care for His people.
If you are trusting in Jesus today, if you know Him, you are held in the Lord's right hand. You may feel like you're only barely clinging on. Life may have been an absolute roller coaster, and you may wonder how much longer you can hold on. But here is the truth: you are held by the hand that holds the universe together. You're held by the hand that was pierced through with nails out of love for you. You're being held by the hand that was raised from death, conquered the grave, and has been raised to eternal glory and invincible life. You're being held by the hand that will one day wipe your tears away and make all things new.
Yes, cling to Him in all of your soul's neediness. Cling to the Lord in your troubles and trials. But rest in the knowledge that underneath and around and above is the Lord's mighty right hand holding you. He will never let you go. No matter how dark the night, no matter how overwhelming your fears, His almighty, loving right hand is holding you.
In verse 7, David declares: "In the shadow of your wings, I will sing for joy." This image of taking refuge under God's wings appears throughout the Psalms, and it carries rich significance.
When we hear "wings," we naturally think of birds—a hen gathering her chicks under her wings, as Jesus Himself described His longing for Jerusalem. The Lord carried His people on eagle's wings in their escape from Egypt. But there's more to this image than just bird wings.
In the Old Testament story of Ruth, when Ruth goes to Boaz at night, she asks him to spread his wings over her—a request for him to bring her into his protection and care, to wrap her up and make her his wife. Boaz responds by praying for her: "May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." His outstretched garment becomes a picture of the Lord's gathering in and protection—His husbandly care for His people.
It's quite possible that David, as Boaz's great-grandson, knew this family story well and reflected on it often. "In the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy"—perhaps this very image was a family reflection passed down through generations.
But there's one more, crucial element to this picture of God's wings, and I believe David has it in mind. In verse 2, he says: "I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory."
Let's journey in our minds to the ancient temple in Jerusalem. We pass through the outer courts with their crowds and noise, through the holy place where priests perform their daily work, and then through a curtain into a smaller room: the Most Holy Place. This is the throne room of God on earth. No one enters here except the high priest, and he enters only once a year.
In the Most Holy Place sits the Ark of the Covenant—a wooden chest overlaid with gold. On its lid are two enormous golden cherubim, angelic creatures whose wings spread out over the top of the ark. Psalm 99 speaks of the Lord enthroned between the cherubim, between those wings of the angels. Throughout the Old Testament, we read of the Lord appearing there, sitting in glory, meeting with His people.
But here's the crucial part: On this winged throne, the high priest would take the blood of a sacrifice—the blood of atonement, of forgiveness, of cleansing from sin—and splatter it on the throne. The people would witness this and know: Here is a God who has mercy on sinners. They called the lid of this throne the mercy seat. God's throne was not a throne of judgment alone—it was a throne of mercy.
So when David speaks of the wings of God in the sanctuary, he is thinking of wings of refuge—not just for those who are weak and suffering and have life hard upon them, but also for those who have sinned and messed up and run away from God deliberately.
This is so important for us to understand: God is not merely nice to people who have a bit of trouble in their lives. God shows mercy to those who have hated Him, who have sinned against Him coldly and deliberately. There are wings of mercy ready to welcome you in, to wrap you up, because there is blood that has been sprinkled on the throne.
David in this psalm is doing what Acts 2 tells us the Psalms do—he is looking forward to Jesus and speaking about Him. As we contemplate the wings on the ark of the covenant and the blood sprinkled at the throne, David is pointing us forward to the cross of Jesus Christ, where His blood was shed as the true and perfect sacrifice for our sin.
He has taken us to the holiest place, the holiest moment in history, where God the Son displayed His power and glory in forgiveness and cleansing. He has taken us in our minds to the blood that was shed on earth, but which is eternally effective before the throne of God in heaven. He is showing us the wings of the Lord outstretched, open for you to come and draw near.
The cross of Jesus tells you that you are welcomed by Jesus today. Yes, whatever your suffering, whatever your fears and anxieties—but also, friends, whatever your sin, do not miss this. You might think you're probably the worst person in the room. Looking around, you see other people who seem to have their lives together, hands in the air, great big smiles. You think, "If people knew what I've been doing, even today, they would not welcome me into this building. I don't belong here."
I want to assure you: Your badness does not disqualify you from being welcomed by Jesus. In fact, your badness is the very thing that qualifies you. Jesus said in Mark 2 that He didn't come for the healthy, because they don't need a doctor. Jesus came for the sick.
You've probably heard the saying: "God helps those who help themselves." It sounds plausible, doesn't it? Like "take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves." But I want to tell you: that phrase is nonsense. It completely destroys Christianity. Jesus helps people who are helpless. Jesus helps people who are mess-ups. Jesus helps people who have hated Him. Real people. Normal people. You and me.
If you think God will only help you in your suffering once you've cleaned up your act, you've got God wrong. If you fear you'll only qualify for God's protection, love, and care in your life's battles if you're a good person, you've got Him wrong.
The blood of Jesus shed at the cross shows us just how far wrong we've gone. The cross condemns us. It shows us the depth, the disgusting horror of our sin to God. But at the cross, we also see the love of God poured out on those who do not deserve it. Freely given. Freely offered. And available for you tonight.
If you need cleansing from your sin, from your past, if you've been shadowed over by shame and guilt even for years—tonight is a night you can come to Jesus and find forgiveness and freedom. The God whom you would never expect to welcome you longs to welcome you home. He will wrap you up.
Your soul is a thirsty throat. You're needy. But God's mighty right hand is extended to bless and protect and hold you. And His wings of mercy are open to receive you, to wrap you up, to bring you close to His heart—if only you will come to Him this evening.
