In 1 Samuel 19 we read of the terrible onslaught of trouble for a young man named David. Former shepherd and then court appointed attendant to King Saul, he was beloved by many except the King. In Saul’s madness and jealousy, David became his target. Only by the intervention of his wife Michel did David escape the initial terrible, mad wrath of the jealous king Saul. In the pages following Chapter 19, we read about Saul’s hot pursuit of a completely innocent person. David was forced out into wilderness areas, hunted and desperate. His flight continued for a great length of time and was finally only resolved when King Saul died in battle (2 Samuel 1).
We read in the Bible of David’s artistic nature. He played, sang and wrote some of the most beautiful music and words. So revered were his words that ancient writers gathered them up for generations of people to read and experience—offering the reflections of an honest person in pursuit of God in good times and bad. During this Lenton season it is good for us to reflect on one of these Psalms in particular.
Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
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.
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 I will be fully 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 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
David was fleeing terrible enemies when he penned these words. I imagine him crouching down in some shade from the heat of the wilderness sun and crying out to God. Why was his first cry to declare who his God was rather than complain to God because of the lack of water? Remarkably and wonderfully in this time of separation from all that he physically needed he was most intent on his relationship with God. He had already learned, and was still learning, about the soul longing to be known (my God) and know God (my God).
How good is a glass of water when you have been desperately thirsty? It’s like a whole new world! Prior to that drink, the only thing you were thinking about was water. And after that cool, wonderful, clear liquid goes across the tongue and into the belly, focus can be shifted to seeing the blue sky, energy is restored, panting can cease, we can go on.
King David was hunkered down away from his enemies. In that desperate time, he remembered the thirst-quenching presence of God. The result was a full-throated song of praise for God and his provision. What were those provisions he articulated? Seeing God in worship, experiencing God’s love, finding satisfaction, and getting help. In fact, God is so full of these provisions for body and soul that David’s mind turned to God everywhere in every way. In the sanctuary, in the night, in his songs, in his clinging to God, and sensing God’s supportive hand. God was everywhere available all the time. And this produced singing.
Reflecting on this can draw us to the final crucifixion scene in John 19 when Jesus was on the cross. Just as David had been hunted, Jesus had been. But rather than being delivered from his enemies, he willingly submitted to them for the salvation of souls.
John 19:28-30
28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
In all of the suffering of Christ he must have experienced terrible physical thirst. Taking on the sin of the world and offering redemption for all humanity also caused terrible spiritual suffering. Our Savior—so human and so divine—did this for us. Is the Father, rather than water, what Jesus thirsted for on the cross?
Where is your thirst slaked? Knowing that difficulties exist and that there is strife all around and ahead, what songs can you sing during this Lenten season? What songs can you write and meditate on in anticipation of the Easter celebration?
Amen
© M.R.Hyde 2025
