Thirsting for God: Finding True Satisfaction in Him

Summary

Psalm 63 invites us to recognize the deep thirst of our souls for God, a longing that nothing else in this world can satisfy. Just as physical thirst drives us to seek water, our spiritual thirst should drive us to seek the living God above all else. This psalm, cherished by the early church and prayed daily as a foundation for worship, reminds us to put first things first: to seek God earnestly, to hunger and thirst for his presence, and to find our satisfaction in him alone. The psalms, and especially Psalm 63, give us language for every season of life—joy, pain, longing, and praise—and teach us that worship is the right response to the God who made us and loves us.

We are surrounded by countless alternatives that promise satisfaction—material possessions, status, pleasure, control, or even our own identities. Yet, as C.S. Lewis observed, human history is the story of people searching for happiness apart from God, only to find emptiness. True satisfaction, rest, and joy are found not in these substitutes, but in clinging to God, in the intimacy and union for which we were created. The psalmist’s words, “My soul clings to you,” echo the deep connection God desires with us—a relationship as close and life-giving as that of a child resting in a parent’s arms.

Even when we wander and chase after idols, Christ comes to us. He entered our world, experienced our hunger and thirst, and emptied himself on the cross so that we might be filled with his life. The steadfast love of God, displayed in Jesus’ sacrifice, is better than life itself. In his embrace, we find the rest and satisfaction our souls crave. As we come to the table, we are invited to lay aside every hindrance and receive the bread of life, to be filled with his Spirit, and to rest in his love. This is the good news we are called to share—a message not just for ourselves, but for everyone searching for meaning and fulfillment.

Key Takeaways

- The Deep Thirst of the Soul
Every human heart is marked by a profound longing for God, whether we recognize it or not. This thirst is not merely a desire for spiritual things, but for the living God himself—a yearning that cannot be quenched by anything else. When we acknowledge this need and seek God first, we begin to experience the satisfaction and peace that only he can provide. [23:50]

- Worship as the Right Response
Worship is not just a ritual, but the natural and necessary response of a creature to its Creator. In worship, we align our hearts with God’s steadfast love, which is better than life itself, and we find our souls satisfied as with a rich feast. True worship reorders our desires and reminds us that God alone is worthy of our deepest devotion. [28:28]

- The Danger of Substitutes
The world offers countless alternatives—pleasure, possessions, control, identity—that promise fulfillment but ultimately leave us empty. Even good things become destructive when they take the place of God in our lives. Only by denying ourselves and letting go of these idols can we receive the true joy and rest that come from union with Christ. [30:36]

- Clinging to God in Intimacy
The image of the soul clinging to God speaks of intimacy, delight, and life-giving connection. Just as a child finds rest and peace in a parent’s embrace, we are invited to rest in God’s presence, trusting that he alone can satisfy our deepest needs. This intimacy is not static; it requires us to continually return, to seek, and to cling to him, especially when we have wandered. [34:38]

- Christ’s Self-Emptying Love
Jesus entered our brokenness, experienced our hunger and thirst, and emptied himself on the cross for our sake. His steadfast love, displayed in his suffering and resurrection, is the only source of eternal life and true satisfaction. In his embrace, we find the rest our souls long for, and we are called to share this good news with a world searching for hope. [37:37]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:56] - Prayers of the People
[12:49] - Thanksgiving and Praise
[13:56] - Blessing the Children
[22:27] - Preparing Our Hearts
[23:50] - The Thirst of the Soul
[25:46] - The Gift of the Psalms
[28:28] - Worship and Satisfaction
[30:36] - The Danger of Substitutes
[33:00] - Jesus’ Invitation to Rest
[34:38] - Clinging to God
[35:57] - Christ Comes to Us
[37:37] - The Cross and Our Salvation
[38:54] - The Love That Is Better Than Life
[41:06] - The Mission and the Table
[42:07] - Laying Aside Hindrances
[46:30] - Confession and Creed
[54:47] - The Eucharistic Prayer
[57:04] - The Mystery of Faith
[58:55] - Communion Invitation
[01:00:53] - Holy Communion
[01:11:39] - Closing and Thanksgiving

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Psalm 63 – The Deep Thirst of the Soul

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### Bible Reading

- Psalm 63 (primary text)
- Luke 9:23-24 (“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”)
- Matthew 11:28-29 (“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”)

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### Observation Questions

1. In Psalm 63, what words or images does the psalmist use to describe his longing for God? How does he express his need? ([23:50])
2. According to the sermon, what did the early church do with Psalm 63, and why was it significant for their daily worship? ([25:46])
3. In Luke 9:23-24, what does Jesus say is required of those who want to follow him? How does this connect to the idea of “clinging” to God?
4. What are some of the “substitutes” or alternatives the world offers for satisfaction, as mentioned in the sermon? ([30:36])

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### Interpretation Questions

1. The psalmist says, “My soul clings to you.” What does this kind of intimacy with God look like in real life? Why is it compared to a child resting in a parent’s arms? ([34:38])
2. The sermon mentions that even good things can become “destructive, poisonous idols” if they take the place of God. How can someone tell when something good has become an idol in their life? ([30:36])
3. Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-29 is to come to him for rest. What does it mean to find rest in Christ, and how is this different from the rest the world offers? ([33:00])
4. The sermon says that Christ “emptied himself on the cross so that we might be filled with his life.” How does this act of self-emptying change the way we think about what truly satisfies us? ([37:37])

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### Application Questions

1. The psalmist’s thirst for God is described as deep and urgent. When was the last time you felt a real longing for God’s presence? What triggered it, and how did you respond? ([23:50])
2. The sermon challenges us to identify “substitutes” we turn to for satisfaction—things like possessions, status, pleasure, or control. What is one substitute you are tempted to cling to, and what would it look like to let go of it this week? ([30:36])
3. The early church prayed Psalm 63 every day to start their prayers. Is there a spiritual practice you could adopt this week to help you “seek God first” each day? What might that look like for you? ([25:46])
4. The image of a child resting in a parent’s arms is used to describe intimacy with God. What practical steps can you take to rest in God’s presence, especially when you feel restless or anxious? ([34:38])
5. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and take up our cross. What is one area of your life where you sense God asking you to “deny yourself” so you can follow him more closely? ([30:36])
6. The sermon says that Christ comes to us even when we wander. Is there a place in your life where you feel far from God right now? What would it look like to “return” and cling to him again? ([35:57])
7. As we come to the table (communion), we are invited to lay aside every hindrance. What is one thing you need to lay aside in order to receive more of God’s love and rest? ([42:07])

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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray Psalm 63 aloud together, asking God to deepen their hunger for him and to help them find true satisfaction in his steadfast love.

Devotional

Day 1: Thirsting for God: Our Deepest Need

Just as our bodies crave water in a dry and weary land, so our souls yearn for the living God. This longing is not reserved for the especially religious or spiritual, but is a universal human experience—whether we recognize it or not. Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Him, and the psalms give us language for this deep desire. When we seek God first, making Him our top priority, we discover that He alone can satisfy the hunger and thirst within us. [23:50]

Psalm 63:1 (ESV)
O God, you are my God; earnestly 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.

Reflection: When you feel a longing or emptiness today, what would it look like to pause and turn that desire into a prayer, seeking God’s presence before anything else?


Day 2: The Steadfast Love of God Is Better Than Life

The psalmist proclaims that God’s steadfast love is better than life itself, and in worship—through praise, thanksgiving, and lifting our hands—we are drawn into the reality of that love. The world offers countless substitutes for satisfaction, but none can compare to the joy and rest found in God’s embrace. When we worship, our souls are satisfied as with a rich feast, and we are reminded that only God can truly fill us. [28:28]

Psalm 63:3-5 (ESV)
Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.

Reflection: What is one thing you are tempted to turn to for satisfaction instead of God? How can you intentionally praise God today, trusting His love to satisfy you?


Day 3: Denying Ourselves and Following Jesus

Jesus calls His followers to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. This means letting go of the things we cling to for control, comfort, or identity, and entrusting ourselves fully to Christ. True life, peace, and joy are found not in self-seeking or in the fleeting pleasures of this world, but in surrendering to Jesus and walking in His way. [30:36]

Luke 9:23-24 (ESV)
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are holding on to control or comfort? What would it look like to lay it down and follow Jesus today?


Day 4: Christ’s Sacrifice: The Love That Saves

The love of God is most clearly displayed in the cross of Christ. Jesus entered into our brokenness, suffered, and was pierced for our transgressions so that we might be healed and restored. His self-giving love is the fountain of mercy and compassion that cleanses and renews us. When we look to the cross, we see the assurance of God’s love and the invitation to rest in His grace. [38:54]

Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Reflection: As you consider the cross today, what does it mean to you that Jesus was pierced for your transgressions? How might you respond to His love in a tangible way?


Day 5: Clinging to God and Finding True Rest

Our souls were made for union with God, to cling to Him as a child clings to a loving parent. In His presence, we find joy, rest, and life eternal. Even when we wander or try to fill our longing with substitutes, Christ comes to us, inviting us to lay aside every hindrance and come to Him. Today, He offers Himself to you—His presence, His grace, His rest. [34:38]

Psalm 63:7-8 (ESV)
For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Reflection: What is hindering you from clinging to God today? How can you lay it aside and rest in His embrace, trusting Him to uphold you?

Quotes

Only God, none of the alternatives will truly, deeply, eternally satisfy our souls. Good things, beautiful things, even things that God has shared with us, they're good, they're great. Say thank you for them. But if we try to substitute them and make them the first thing, the highest thing, they will become destructive, poisonous idols. [00:31:36] (00:00:25 seconds) Edit Clip

C .S. Lewis once wrote, nearly all that we call human history, money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empire, slavery, is the long, terrible story of man trying to find something other than God that will make him happy. [00:32:01] (00:00:20 seconds) Edit Clip

We have to deny self. We have to die to self and self -seeking desires and the desire to be in control and all these things. We have to let go and let ourselves go and be fully entrusted into the hands of our Savior, the nail -scarred hands of the Lord. There and there alone will find our joy, our peace, our deep satisfaction that our souls want. [00:32:42] (00:00:28 seconds) Edit Clip

So Jesus says to each and every one of us in Matthew 11, come to me, all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. I'll give you rest for your souls. It's in his embrace that that joy and that rest and that deep satisfaction is to be found. [00:33:19] (00:00:23 seconds) Edit Clip

But here's the good news. Even when we are going after every kind of alternative that we can come up with, our Savior comes looking for us. He comes down to where we are. He enters into our mess. [00:36:00] (00:00:15 seconds) Edit Clip

Christ comes to us, even when we go after idols, into our mess, and he takes up the cross. He denies himself. He empties his life perfectly for the kingdom. And because of that, we can be saved. He carries our sin. He dies our death on the cross so that we can be filled with his life and his spirit. [00:38:03] (00:00:24 seconds) Edit Clip

When you look at the cross, John talks a lot about this. If you go read 1 John, this, Jesus giving his life, this is the love of God for you. You don't have to wonder, does God love me? It is finished. He has done it. His love is given to you and displayed on the cross. This is his love. [00:40:13] (00:00:20 seconds) Edit Clip

But in his love, there's eternal life. And only there. Resting in that embrace, resting in that gift, that grace he gives, clinging to this loving Lord who stretched out his arms for us. That is what we're looking for. That is what everyone you know is looking for. That is what drives so many of the crazy, silly things that we do sometimes. [00:40:50] (00:00:25 seconds) Edit Clip

And you're not going to find it on Amazon. You're not going to find it in a bottle. You're not going to find it anywhere else. But in the embrace of the Savior who opened his arms for you, under the shadow of your wings, I sing for joy. [00:41:15] (00:00:15 seconds) Edit Clip

And today, Christ offers himself to us. We're about to come to the table. We're about to feast together. Today, when we come to the sacrament, he extends his promises, his gifts, his presence, his grace, all of it, he extends to us. And he says, lay aside everything that hinders all of the other things you're trying to fill yourself with. What are those things for you? The things that hinder you from being filled with God. Lay them aside, says Jesus, and come to me. I'm the bread who came down to fill you, to put my spirit within you. I'll give you rest. Come to me. [00:41:43] (00:00:40 seconds) Edit Clip