Psalm 63:1-7 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 63:1-7 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Verse 2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
Verse 3Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
Verse 4So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
Verse 5My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
Verse 6when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
Verse 7for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
Devotion
The singing continues. In Psalm 63 we have a song of desire: "O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you." The Jesuit priest and author, James Martin, has described Advent as the season of desire because it is a time when we are "encouraged to wait, to anticipate, to expect, to long, to hope—in short, to desire." To speak of desire could make us uncomfortable. It may sound too carnal or selfish. But the desire that marks Advent is a desire created and formed by God—a longing for reconciliation, a hope for peace and an expectation of justice. Most of all, Advent nurtures our deep desire for God's presence in our lives. The words of Augustine ring true: "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O Lord." In these days of desire, may we come to know more deeply our longing for God as we await the coming of Christ.