NASHVILLE (BP) – This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Bible Studies For Life curriculum.
Bible Passages: Psalm 63:1-11
Discussion Questions:
- When has an optical illusion been hard for you to see?
Food for Thought by Mike Harland:
An “ambiguous image.” This form of artwork refers to an image that can be viewed from two entirely different perspectives.
One classic example is a drawing that viewed one way is of a young woman, but viewed another appears to be an elderly woman. Another is known as “Rubin’s Vase,” where from one viewpoint a vase is seen and from the other, two men are facing each other.
It’s a classic trick that our own brain can play on us. We see what we’re expecting to see.
Psalm 63 is a beautiful example of David seeing what he chose to see. From one perspective, the king could have only seen the desolate wilderness of Judah as he ran from his enemies. But from the perspective of worship, he saw the glory and strength of God in His sanctuary. David could have focused on his isolation and desperation. But instead, he saw God’s rich provision. He could have fixated on his enemies, but David saw his God, whose arm would protect him from all harm and bring justice to his accusers.
Look around at your life. What’s your perspective? When it comes to worship, it all depends on what – and more importantly who – you see.
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” And David knew God. From the barren wilderness of Judah, David looked up to see the one true God who could meet him where he was. The place was dark, dry, desolate and isolated; the circumstances were dire. David was hungry, thirsty and alone.
Most scholars date this psalm to when David’s son Absalom was pursuing him. Not only was David facing physical challenges, but he also felt the hurt of a father estranged from his son.
The temptation would be to sit and sulk. But David looked higher into the sanctuary of God, beyond what he needed, to who he knew. And what he saw drew him into worship. David saw God’s strength, glory and love.
David’s example is one for all of us. When we are tempted to collapse in fear because of all we see around us – in our lives and in our world – we can see our God whose goodness and love awakens our heart in praise.
In God and God alone, we find satisfaction.
As a shepherd, David had seen many creatures covered by the wings of their mother or father, and he no doubt had experienced the “guiding hand” of his father Jesse. This picture was his best way to describe the safety he felt under the care of his protector, God. When we forget God’s care for us, we start to feel afraid, alone and forgotten. When we think about His faithful care for us and come to Him in worship, we find the help we need.
As the psalm crescendos to its conclusion, we learn about something that has been underneath the surface the whole time. While David was pouring out his song of praise to God, he was also being pursued by his enemies, which includes his own son Absalom (2 Samuel: 15).
That alone helps us understand how our focus on God inspires our worship, no matter the many potential distractions. David looked outside his circumstances to see his God, who transcends them all.
Despite the difficulties David was facing, he began the psalm with worship. Only at the end did he even acknowledge the realities of his circumstances, modeling a lesson for us all.
* Mike Harland of Tennessee leads the Worship Essentials Network, a worship ministry coaching network for pastors.
Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life connects the Bible to life for adults, students, and kids. Bible Studies for Life helps individuals and groups know God’s Word through trustworthy content, creates biblical community through engaging and conversational group studies, and helps people engage the culture missionally by unpacking what the Bible says about real-life issues. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/biblestudiesforlife.
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