More Than Religion
Background Story: King David wrote many Psalms as prayers and worship from his heart to God’s.
Read Psalm 61:1-4, 62:5-8, 63:1-8
Psalm 61: For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
1 Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Psalm 62: For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
Psalm 63: A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
Big Idea: God invites us into intimate relationship with Him.
Psalm 63:2-3 says, “I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” Listen to these incredibly personal and intimate words that David speaks to God. David says that he has seen God, beheld Him, and experienced His love.
You were not created for religious traditions. God created you for a personal, intimate relationship with Him. Each encounter and circumstance you will face today is an invitation and opportunity for to know Him in a new way. As you feel stress and anxiety come into your mind, it is a chance to speak to Him, surrender it, and rest in His peace in that moment. When a struggle comes, it is an opportunity to take it to Him and leave it at His throne knowing He is enough. As you make decisions, work through past pain, deal with difficult people, face temptations… no matter the situation. Everything we face today and will face tomorrow is an invitation to know Him in a new and deeper way. God invites you to Himself and longs to be your “ever-present help” (Psalm 46) meeting every need and longing of your heart. Don’t settle for religious practices that will never satisfy. You were made to be His bride – cherished, loved, and chosen by Him.
Read these words of David and may the truth compel you to seek satisfaction, identity, love, and completeness in Him.
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