Pressure and Stress: Necessity of God’s Perspective: Part I
Psalm 63: The Cry of a Thirsty Man

Introduction: The four-part series: Pressure and Stress from God’s perspective – Psalm 63 evaluates these terms and shows how David was a victor. The terms pressure and stress are cultural buzzwords. They are pregnant with misinterpretations.  God’s word provides the clarity that every believer needs. Pressure and stress: God’s perspective provides a breathe of fresh air so that believer \won’t drawn in a sea of feelings.

Psalms 51-71 are authored by David and are considered the second collection of Davidic Psalms (the first is Psalms 3-41 in book I). This second collection constitutes some two-thirds of Book II. Most of these psalms in book II depict an intimate relation with Elohim. Remember, in book I the name that David used for God was Yahweh. In book II David switched to the use of Elohim. Varying opinions are given for this fact. It may be due to David’s reference to non-Israelites peoples and his desire to bring all nations to God (see Genesis 12:1-3; Acts 3:25; Galatians 3:8). The name Yahweh was more related to God’s covenantal faithfulness to Israel. Whatever the reason, the majority of the Davidic Psalms in book II are expressed in relational terms. Thus, it was important to understand Pressure and Stress from God’s perspective.

Psalm 63 is much like Psalms 51-52, 54, 56-57, 59-60 in that these Psalms are related to concrete moments in David’s life. Psalm 63 may refer to the events recorded in 2 Samuel 15-19. The time of Absalom’s revolt was one of the darkest times in David’s life. Given all the trouble and conflict within and outside of Israel, the king and the kingdom had come in David so that glory was not far behind. But David had not experienced either of these although 2 Samuel 5-7 was a high point in his life.

The Ark had been restored to freed Jerusalem. David had experienced the assault of Saul but now he was on the run from his son. Conflict continued. It was in these times that David with all his energies turned again to Elohim, his true portion. He needed to view pressure and stress from God’s perspective.

A mini-summary of this time in David’s life can be noted in eight psalms: Psalms. 61-64 and Psalms 65-68. These eight psalms describe a dialogue between two kings. Psalms 61-64 represent the cry of the messianic king for Elohim’s intervention on his behalf. Psalms 65-68 is in response to David’s cry and the affirmation of the undisturbed reign of the messianic king. David’s cry arose from an intense longing for fellowship with Elohim. One may say that David was a correctly defined needy person. I make this distinction to avoid confusion with the false teaching of the social sciences (Rogers and Alders and the teaching of unconditional positive regard and self-esteem pundits).

The use of the phrase My soul equates with the whole man – the whole person body and spirit, outer and inner man (see Psalms 42:2; 52:8; 62:1; 63:1, 7; 65:4). The Hebrew thought process differed from the Greeks who cut or divided man into parts. Rather man is a whole person, a duplex being, inner and outer man, heart and body who thinks, desires, and acts in both the inner and outer man. David through the Holy Spirit understood anthropology. As a whole person and with every thought and desire, David longed for Elohim and fervently desired to be in His presence. He desired to understand pressure and stress from God’s perspective. He understood that the two terms refer to God’s providence – His control in and of a person’s life.

Someone might say David’s cries only reflected the heat of God’s providence and David’s desire for relief. Please notice that David did not cry out for relief or a change in feelings. David cried out to Elohim (v.1: O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water.). David, the messianic king, cried out for Elohim to intervene on his behalf. He knew he was Elohim’s representative charged and privileged to establish Elohim’s kingdom of righteousness and peace (also see 61:2, 6-7; 62:2-4, 7; 64:3, 7-8, 9-10). David cried out not only on his behalf but for that of the people. David properly linked himself with Elohim and the people.

David gave a litany of non-negotiable truths about God that explained why he sought His presence, why he cried out to Elohim, and why all believers should do the same. He was beginning to train himself regarding pressure and stress from God’s perspective. Verse 1 presented David as a seeker who longed after God Himself.

David had experienced God, His power and glory (v. 2: I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory; also see Psalm 27:4). David had experientially tasted God and liked it: v.3-5: because your love is better than life my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest of foods, with singing lips my mouth will praise you).  He wanted more of God (Psalm 34:8)! He knew that God was God and he was not. In verses 2-5, David wrote that he was a satisfied man. Please take note of this fact in light of David’s circumstances. Elohim’s presence and love hooked David. He desired more of him. David had learned the lesson of pressure and stress from God’s perspective.

Next, in verses 6-8, David described his commitment to God (v.6: On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. v.7: Because you are my help I will sing in the shadow of your wings. v.8: My soul clings to you ; your right hand upholds me). David sang to the Lord (v.7) and made a commitment to cling to, to hold fast, to remain attached to the Lord (v.8). David knew his Lord and trusted him. He knew pressure and stress from God’s perspective!

The last three verses (v. 9-11) looked to the future (v.9: They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth; v.10: They will be given to the sword and become food for the jackals; v.11: For the king will rejoice in God ; all who swear by God’s name will praise him; while the mouths of liars will be silenced.). David leaves vindication to the Lord. David simply sought to please God. David knew that it was God’s business to repay (Deuteronomy 32:34-36; Romans 12:17-21; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Hebrews 10:30). He rested in the fact that he could honestly live out of the relationship that God had established with him in full confidence that God would be covenantally faithful. What a relief and a joy for David to be safely and firmly in the caring hands of the Triune God. David was benefitting from understanding pressure and stress from God’s perspective!

The greater Messiah and greater David, Jesus Christ, lived in close communion with the Father – the Father and I are one (John 10:30). Whatever that means, one thing is certain. God did not and could not forsake God. The Father forsook the Godman, Christ. Jesus’ question as recorded in Mathew 27:46 (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?) expressed the full weight of God’s wrath upon the God-man, our Substitute. Jesus was buoyed by His eternal relationship with the Father and He looked forward to returning to heaven as Lord of lords and King of kings (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Jesus understood pressure and stress from God’s perspective. David imitated Christ! As the God-man, Jesus could not get enough of God. He sought His presence and fellowship with Him. He tasted God’s goodness and glory as He set his face toward heaven as He did toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). Jesus sought to please His Father which took Him to Jerusalem and to the cross. He knew that setting His face toward Jerusalem and the cross was actually setting His face toward the Father and His rightful place post-Ascension.

Application:
1. How do you perceive yourself?
2. How does Psalm 63 help you focus on who God is and your rightful response to him?
3. Does God’s providence direct your view and response to God or do you read His providence through your relationship with God? Give reasons for your answers with Psalm 63.

God’s Perspective: Psalm 63: Part II
Life Viewed through the Eyes of David and God’s Truth

I continue the series: Pressure and Stress from God’s perspective. Pressure is an interesting word. It generally refers to demands, burdens, and difficulties of some sort. Today, abuse and stress are other words used to mean pressure. Often people speak of the effects of pressure that they are feeling. Everyone seems to relate to the meaning of the word. You are probably nodding your head saying you know all about pressure. You may have experienced unpleasantness. Often people equate pressure with stress.

When defining the terms, all would agree that pressure and stress are used to indicate that something is going on outside of a person and something is transpiring inside him. You may have heard such phrases as drowning in the waves of distress, going under for the third time, the pressure and stress are weighing me down, or I can’t handle the pressure.

About this time, someone offers help. Often it is along the lines of removing bad feelings by finding satisfaction in something. Some authors may take it a step further and offer an explanation: man is a needy person with deep longings of his soul predominantly significance, love, and intimacy. When those are not met by someone or something, you suffer. What follows is the solution: these longings for relief can only be satisfied by Jesus. Many hurrahs are given in response. A pilgrimage to seek intimacy however defined but generally a good feeling ensues. Often, the journey itself is touted as all-important for having deep needs satisfied. How should we think about these scenarios especially in our sin-cursed, sinner-populated, topsy-turvy world? Do they do justice to understanding pressure and stress from God’s perspective?

Through David, the Holy Spirit addresses the issue of pressure and stress in a number of Psalms. Psalm 63 is one of those. It is found in book II of the Psalter. David, a man after God’s own heart, was in trouble. He was on the run either from Saul or most likely Absalom his son. As far as we know David was being sinned against (2 Samuel 15:23-28; 16:2, 4). As a way of escape, David sought refuge and protection in the wilderness – a physical one that could very well have been a spiritual one.

How do you define wilderness? We usually think of it as an isolated and barren, even foreboding place or a state of existence. This is probably the picture that the prodigal son had as given in Luke 15:15-17. He was a Jew in the pig pen feeding pigs. It was there that the son came to his senses – to himself. he counseled himself!  Matthew 4 and Luke 4 document Jesus in the wilderness – a physical one and a spiritual one – a test of His covenantal faithfulness as the second Adam.  He fed on the word of God (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4 and Jesus’ teaching in John 4:31-34)? As with Jesus, David had not sinned in this incident described in Psalm 63. The enemy was trying to undo David and God! Jesus and David sought safety in God while in the wilderness!

The wilderness was also pictured in Exodus as they left Egypt and headed to the Promised Land. For them, the wilderness was a place, a state of existence, in which they faced the living God daily. The wilderness was a place of testing: do I trust God or myself? For David, the wilderness was a place for him to gather himself. David knew God personally. His relationship with God and the mindset that was its product was a patterned lifestyle. The wilderness brought it to the fore but not automatically. David had practiced thinking and acting on God’s thoughts and desires. In verse 1 we read: O God you are my God…: for David this was always and forever true.

By God’s initiative, God was David’s God and David rejoiced in that fact. He had a personal relationship with God and he marveled at that fact. Therefore, David wrote, earnestly I seek you. He adds my soul (his whole person) thirsts for you. There was a longing, a desire, to know God intimately. He expressed this in Psalm 34:8 (come and taste that God is good). God is good and David wanted more of him.

In the face of David’s troubles we must ask: did he think that fellowship between God and him had ceased? No! David acknowledged his circumstances knowing full well their source – God’s providential ordering of his life. That in itself is a major foundational stone for a proper theology of pressure and stress. David went a step further: it was not simply God’s power and control that sparked this response. It was the fact that David knew God was good even if circumstances, feelings, and his own reasoning said otherwise. Therefore, David sought a closer fellowship with God. What could be more logical? More pressure for David encouraged more tasting and seeing – experiencing – God and His goodness (Psalm 34:8). This seems so counterintuitive and counterproductive. Rather, needy people want out – they want relief – not a greater intimacy with their Creator, Redeemer, Savior, and Deliverer.

We get a glimpse of David’s ongoing fellowship with God in verse 2: I have seen you in the sanctuary. David was speaking of God’s presence. David did not see God with his physical eyes but his spiritual ones – eyes of saving faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). The sanctuary was the place the God-ordained place for meeting with His people. Through the high priest, the people entered into God’s presence.

Moreover, in the sanctuary God’s people worshipped Him. Corporately and individually, David met God: Because your covenantal faithfulness (love and trustworthiness) is better than life, I will praise you: verse 3). David’s response in verse 2 is a wow and verse 3 highlights God’s promise- making and promise-keeping. Both verses resound with joyful expectations. David followed the example of Christ long before Christ came to earth. David as Christ did looked forward and upward (Hebrews 6:18-20; 12:1-3). For us today we are to do the same. The believer has the ever-present God and the indwelling Holy Spirit as foretaste of heaven (Colossians 3:1-3; 1 John 3:1-3).

Application:
1. Are you there with David as he wrote in verse 3: Because your covenantal faithfulness (love and trustworthiness) is better than life, I will praise you? Why and why not?
2. What is it about God that keeps you from desiring Him above all else including self?
3. How do define pressure and stress? What biblical principles do you have at your ready to use the situations to honor God by growing and changing in Christlikeness?

Psalm 63: Truth: God and David: Part III

I continue the series: Pressure and Stress from God’s perspective. In the wilderness David announced what he had experienced in thoughtful mediation (verse 4-8). David praised the Lord (verse 4); he was satisfied with experiencing God (verses 5-6), and he will cling to God apparently with a greater degree of praise and joy. He is confident that he and God will get victory by destroying his enemies who are God’s enemies (verses 9-10). In the midst of trouble David sounds like a victor (verse 11: But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God’s name will praise him; while the mouths of liars will be silenced). He is in the moment but he is not living in it. Even though he was king, he was not treated as the king. Yet he is focused on God and God’s purpose. He wants God’s purpose and God for himself!

This situation has similarities with Jesus’ experience in the wilderness. For Jesus, the greater David, the wilderness was not a place of refuge. He was led into the wilderness of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1). It was a time of testing. The issue of covenantal faithfulness or unfaithfulness was now in full swing. Jesus never ceased being faithful all the way to the cross and beyond. David intimates Christ by holding on to his relationship with God and God’s with him. Relationships do matter.

In David’s case, the wilderness gave him time to reflect. It is easy to consider the wilderness as pressure and stress that must be avoided or removed. That is not how Jesus approached life and that is not how David perceived his time. There is no question that for both the greater and lesser David, hard times were common and carried a burden. But as this psalm shows relationships matter. A proper vertical reference is necessary for victory!

Never forget what biblical truth you or any believer has at your disposal. Believers are to use it well. David knew that life events including being sinned against were part of God’s providential control of His world. That simple but profound fact and its remembrance kept David on track – God’s track. Keeping on God’s track depended upon David’s view of God and himself. Keeping on track was manifested by David’s proper response to God’s providence.

Pressure and stress are descriptive terms that focus on the believer, his feelings, and his response to and in God’s providence – the situation. What is so often is the fact that feelings originate from thoughts and desires. Change thoughts and desires and feelings change or they are considered of less importance. The situation is not the main issue even if the situation is a result of one’s own sins. The circumstances were the context of David’s response which was a reflection of David’s thoughts, desires, and actions. In turn, David’s response depended on his relationship with God and its impact in David’s life. This pattern is the pattern of Christ. He knew Himself, His origin, identity, purpose, and destiny. Proper knowledge recalled before, during, and after the “moment” is God’s way for victory. David got it! What is true for David and Christ is true for the believer!

In a real sense man is a truly needy person: he is wrapped up in himself via self- pleasing and rebellion against God (Luke 10:38-42). A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is God’s answer for man’s rebellion and alienation from God and the resultant misery and consequences of such a mindset and lifestyle. Jesus is so much more than a satisfier, even the Satisfier, or the need-meeter. He is Lord of lords and King of kings. He bids you to come to Him and see what kind of God and King He is (Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 12:1-2). Do what David did: earnestly seek God rejoicing in the seeking and in the finding (Matthew 6:33).

How do you handle the moment? The short answer is God’s way. The longer answer is given by David in this psalm. Jesus during His life demonstrated the how and the why. Locate your wilderness and ask why it is a wilderness, how you got there, and what is your intention in being there? Wildernesses can be places to reflect and search for truth and its application in your life. Or they may be places that are a subjective mess. You need to unravel your thinking and wanting in the midst of problems. You can because you are united with Christ by the Holy Spirit who has indwelt you. Relationships matter.

Application:
1.Define wilderness.
a. Why are you there?
b. What is your thinking and wanting?
c. How are you responding and why?
2. Define stress and pressure.
3. What is the significance of your relationship with Christ?
4. What biblical truth do you have at the ready and how are you applying it?
5. What have been the results?

Pressure and Stress: Necessity of God’s Perspective: Part IV
Psalm 63: More on Pressure

I conclude  the series: Pressure and Stress from God’s perspective. Let’s return to the term pressure. As noted, it is an interesting word. It generally refers to demands, burdens, and difficulties of some sort. Today, abuse and stress are other words used to mean pressure. Often people speak of the effects of pressure that they are feeling. Everyone seems to relate to the meaning of the word. You are probably nodding your head saying you know all about pressure. You may have experienced unpleasantness.

Often people equate pressure with stress. When defining the terms, all would agree that something is going on outside of a person and something is transpiring on the inside. You may have heard such phrases as drowning in the waves of distress, going under for the third time, the pressure and stress are weighing me down, or I can’t handle the pressure.

About this time, someone offers help. Often it is along the lines of removing bad feelings by finding satisfaction in something. Some authors may take it a step further and offer an explanation: man is a needy person with deep longings of his soul predominantly significance, love, and intimacy. When those are not met by someone or something, you suffer. What follows is the solution: these longings can only be satisfied by Jesus. Many hurrahs are given in response. A pilgrimage to seek intimacy ensues. Often, the journey itself is touted as all-important for having deep needs satisfied. How should we think about these scenarios especially in our sin-cursed, sinner-populated, topsy-turvy world?

Through David, the Holy Spirit addresses the issue in a number of Psalms. We will consider one: Psalm 63 found in book II of the Psalter. David, a man after God’s own heart, was on the run either from Saul or most likely Absalom his son. As far as we know David was being sinned against. As a way of safety and escape, David was in the wilderness – a physical one that could very well have been a spiritual one.

Never forget what biblical truth you or any believer has at your disposal and use. David knew that life events including being sinned against were part of God’s providential control of His world. That simple but profound fact and its remembrance kept David on track – God’s track. Keeping on God’s track depended upon David’s view of God and himself. Keeping on track was manifested by David’s proper response to God’s providence. Pressure and stress are descriptive terms that focus on the believer and his response to and in God’s providence – the situation. The situation is not the main issue even if the situation is a result of one’s own sins. The circumstances are the context of David’s response which was a reflection of David’s thoughts, desires, and actions. In turn, David’s response depended on his relationship with God and its impact in David’s life.

David knew God personally. His relationship with God and the mindset that was its product led to a patterned lifestyle of thoughts, desires, and actions. The wilderness brought it to the fore but not automatically. David practiced thinking and acting on God’s thoughts and desires regularly. In verse 1 we read: O God you are my God…: for David this was always and forever true. By God’s initiative, God was David’s God and David rejoiced in that fact. He had a personal relationship with God and he marveled at that fact. Therefore, David wrote, earnestly I seek you. He adds my soul (his whole person) thirsts for you.

In the face of David’s troubles we must ask: did he think that fellowship between God and him had ceased? No! David acknowledged his circumstances knowing full well their source – God’s providential ordering of his life. He understood pressure and stress from God’s perspective. Situations are from God’s hand! Therefore, David sought a closer fellowship with God. What could be more logical? More pressure for David encouraged more tasting and seeing – experiencing – God and His goodness (Psalm 34:8). This seems so counterintuitive and counterproductive. Rather, people in need (as opposed to the culture’s phrase, needy people) want out – they want relief – not a greater intimacy with their Creator, Redeemer, Savior, and Deliverer.

We get a glimpse of David’s ongoing fellowship with God in verse 2: I have seen you in the sanctuary. David was speaking of God’s presence. David did not see God with his physical eyes but his spiritual ones – eyes of faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). In the Old Testament, the sanctuary was the place that God had designed and ordained for meeting with His people. Through the high priest, the people entered into God’s presence but once a year. Moreover, in the sanctuary God’s people worshipped Him through a privileged, chosen high priest.

Corporately and individually, David met God. David’s response in verse 2 is a wow. It is resounds with joyful expectations. David followed the example of Christ long before Christ came to earth. David as Christ did looked forward and upward (Hebrews 6:18-20; 12:1-3). For us today we are to do the same. The believer has the ever-present God and the indwelling Holy Spirit as foretaste of heaven (Colossians 3:1-3; 1 John 3:1-3).

In a real sense man is a truly needy person: he is wrapped up in himself via self- pleasing and rebellion against God. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is God’s answer for man’s rebellion and alienation from God and the misery and consequences of such a lifestyle. Jesus is so much more than a satisfier, even the Satisfier, or the need-meeter. He is Lord of lords and King of kings. He bids you to come to Him and see what kind of God and King He is (Romans 12:1-2). Do what David did: earnestly seek God.

Application:
1. Are you there with David as he wrote in verse 3: Because your covenantal faithfulness (love and trustworthiness) is better than life, I will praise you? Why and why not?
2. What is it about God that keeps you from desiring Him above all else including self?
3. How do define pressure and stress? What biblical principles do you have at your ready to use the situations to honor God by growing and changing in Christlikeness?