My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with

joyful lips. (Psalm 63:5 ESV)

Recently, I celebrated my birthday with my family. I felt so honored—it was like I had a holiday

all to myself! Many of us celebrate birthdays with our favorite people, eat our favorite meals,

indulge in our favorite dessert, and receive gifts that we have been adding to our Amazon Wish

List for months. (No? Just me?)

Yet, what never fails to escape me about these special moments, as memorable as they are, is

their inability to truly satisfy. We know a delicious meal with our favorite apps, sides, and

desserts might fill us up for the rest of the day, and we may even have leftovers for tomorrow’s

lunch; but, of course, we will get hungry again.

We know that spending a day at our favorite place, doing our favorite things, can be restful, fun,

and exciting, but eventually, it will end. And the gifts we were sure we needed or wanted are

less fulfilling after a few short months and may even need to be replaced from wear and tear.

Of course, all these wonderful things are good gifts from our loving, heavenly Father (James

1:17), meant for us to enjoy, bless others, and ultimately, cause us to look to Him and give Him

the praise He rightly deserves! Yet, we know that only God can truly satisfy the deepest longing

of our hearts.

In Psalm 63:1-7 we read (emphasis added):

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. So I have looked upon you in the

sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 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, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the

watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will

sing for joy.

Do you share the same joy, longing and desperation for God as David expresses in this psalm?

If not, don’t lose heart. Instead, Seek Him! Behold Him! Meditate on Him! Praise Him for His

steadfast love and help in your time of need. And your soul will be satisfied.

By Jessica Fox

Jessica is an early childhood teacher and pastor’s wife. She and her husband, Travis, have

been married for 23 years and attend Immanuel Baptist Church at Armstrong Mill with their

children, Kaleb, Journey, and Sadie.