Joy Bombs in the Psalms: Wise Men Edition | Psalm 63:1-8

We’re taking a deep dive into Psalm 63 today. Written by King David, we find a man who messed up in his life but picked himself back up and said to God, “I’m sorry.” He found the grace that he was seeking, and you can too. He was a man after God’s own heart. You can be a person after God’s own heart. You’re never going to be perfect. The idea is to keep seeking Jesus, to keep walking with Him and encountering His love and compassion in your life. Seek Jesus and you will find His love and compassion in everyday life. Jesus’ love and sacrifice for humanity is what Christmas is all about. He came into this world to save the world. To save you.

Special thanks to Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, for bringing us the Bible For Busy People this Christmas season!

Show Notes:

• Who Is Jesus? Let us introduce you!
• Have a prayer request? Leave it here.
• We’d love for you to leave a review. We know most of our listeners come from Apple podcasts and if that is you, please take a moment to rate the podcast and tell us what you loved about this episode. It helps us reach more people!

Transcription:

I want to share a beautiful thought with you from my friend Lauren’s Facebook page.

The more I seek him, the more I notice flowers landing next to my feet. Birds singing outside my window. All love letters from the God who knows no coincidence.

Oh, that’s so amazing. Hi! Welcome to the Bible for Busy People. I’m Erica, your host, and all this week we have been seeking Jesus, just like the wise men sought after the baby who was born beneath the star of Bethlehem and we’ve been finding him, haven’t we? Finding the love, the compassion of Jesus in all of the encounters he had with people. We got to read some this week and it’s been a joy. CS Lewis writes in the last battle, the final Chronicle of Narnia

For all, find what they truly seek.

If you’re looking for God, you’re going to find him.

Alright. It’s Friday and you know what that means? It is time for Joy Bombs in the Psalms. So, crack open your Bible with me right there in the middle, you’re going to find Psalm 63. David wrote this, King David, a man who messed up in his life but picked himself back up and said to God, “I’m sorry”, and he found the grace that he was seeking, and you can too. He was a man after God’s own heart. You can be a person after God’s own heart. You’re never going to be perfect. The idea is to keep seeking Jesus, to keep walking with him and encountering his love and compassion in your life. Okay, Psalm 63, verse one,

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! 4 I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. 5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. 6 I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. 7 Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. 8 I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.

Oh, I just love the images that David is painting here in this Psalm. My sister and her husband and the kids, they just got a brand new puppy. A sweet black lab, and they named her Zoe Jane, and I can’t wait for puppy cuddles when I see them over the Christmas season in North Carolina. But I got to tell you, this dog clings to my sister. She found her person, and wherever my sister is, you’ll find sweet little Zoe Jane with the pink collar. And I want to be like Zoe Jane, but with Jesus. You and I can be, when we open his Word, when we listen to worship music, when we stop, just to pause and pray throughout the day, and sometimes that can look like, “Thank you God. Thank you God for this moment of peace.” Or it can be, “Help me God. I don’t know what to do in this situation. I’ve got a gut response, but I want to go with how You want me to respond.” Just that constant connection, just like Zoe Jane is right by my sister’s feet. I want to be right by the feet of Jesus. I want to obey him. I want to follow him.

I want to live out his will for my life and with him right there, it’s easier, right? I want to cling to him, and he wants to be clinging to. I think that’s good English. He wants that. We are right there with him in the shadow of his wings. We can sing to him just like David wrote in the psalm. We can worship him just knowing he’s right there for us, waiting to give us his grace and love and forgiveness and peace and joy and the Christmas list goes on. Keep seeking him. Keep clinging to him. He is good. He is love. God loves you because He is love. I recently heard that Luis Palau said that, and it’s unforgettable to me. God loves you and he loves me because he is love. Hey, until next time, you are really loved.

Thank you for making space to study the Bible with me today. If you feel something stirring in your soul, that’s the God who made you, saying, I love you and I want to know you. It’s what Christmas is all about. Jesus came for you so that your soul would know its worth. He came to bring joy to the world, and to your world. It’s the most beautiful love story ever written, and it’s true. It’s the greatest rescue mission in history, and it was for you. If you want to respond to that stirring in your soul, to know Jesus a little better, please take a moment and check out our show notes, where you’ll find lots of hope and encouragement for your journey.

The Bible for Busy people is brought to you this Christmas season by Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. Every day and every night, their team is on a mission to share the good news with our neighbors who are homeless. Like the angels who came on the night, Jesus was born. They make sure that every person who walks through the doors of the Mission knows that there is hope because Jesus came, and how much He loves them. Every person they meet on the street encounters the love of Christ through a friendly smile, a warm blanket, a cup of cocoa, and an invitation to take that next step toward healing from addiction or mental illness. If you want to be part of making sure every soul knows its worth in Seattle this Christmas, volunteer or donate at ugm.org. Thank you and Merry Christmas.

This podcast is one branch of a Christmas tree called Purposely, a network designed to connect you with life-giving conversations, and to inspire you to find and live out God’s purpose for your life. If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a purpose.