BETTER THAN LIFE ITSELF

Better Than Life Itself

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. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise you! I will honor you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.Psalm 63:1-4

This psalm contains the words of a man who knows what it means to earnestly seek and lay hold of the Lord. David has experienced God, seen him in his sanctuary, and gazed on his power and glory. That is why in the wilderness, in the desolate, dry places of life, his soul thirsts for the Lord, his whole body longs for communion with him.

Although the experience of soul-thirsting after the Lord eludes us from time to time, the same experience that David had is available for each one of us. Jesus has opened the way for us to experience communion and harmony with our Creator. This is what we were made for! Our eyes can wander to other places; we can get distracted from seeking the Lord, but then we will wind up in a dry and weary land where there is no water. God calls us throughout Scripture to rise above the problems in the parched places in our lives and proclaim as David did that God’s unfailing loving-kindness is better than anything in life—better than life itself.

OH, LORD, I earnestly search for you this day in this parched and weary place in my life. Let me see you and gaze on your power and glory. Draw me into intimacy with you by your Spirit to truly experience your loving-kindness. May I proclaim with the psalmist that your unfailing love is better to me than life itself. How I praise you! I will honour you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. Thank you for your promise that those who seek you will find you.

SEEKING WITH FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE PLEASES OUR LORD AND FINDING HIM PLEASES THE SOUL, FILLING IT FULL OF JOY. AND SO I LEARNT THAT AS LONG AS GOD ALLOWS US TO STRUGGLE ON THIS EARTH, SEEKING IS AS GOOD AS SEEING.Julian of Norwich (1342–ca. 1413)