Psalm 63
Finding God in the Wilderness – A Reflection on Psalm 63
1. Praising God in the Wilderness
As we journey through life, we all encounter wilderness seasons—those dry, difficult, and disorienting stretches where everything feels uncertain and God seems far off. Psalm 63 meets us right there. In fact, it’s split into two powerful movements: the first four verses show us how God helps us in the search, and verses 5–11 reveal how He guides us toward our destination.
What we love about the Psalms—and especially about David—is the raw honesty. There’s no fluff here. David doesn’t pretend to have it all together. He’s angry, scared, joyful, confused—all of it. And he brings all of that to God.
We can do the same. If David can express every emotion from despair to delight, so can we. God already knows what’s in our hearts. The Psalms just give us permission to be real and to bring it all to Him.
One verse that stood out to us is:
Psalm 63:4: “I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”
David isn’t avoiding his pain—he’s naming it and choosing to praise in the middle of it. We’ve seen this modeled in real life through our friends Vance and Veronica Richards. Their story, filled with ongoing health struggles and uncertainty, has been one of pain and praise. They’ve chosen to raise a hallelujah in the storm, trusting God even when the answers don’t come quickly. It’s been a living picture of Psalm 63 in action.
This reminds us that we’re not called to ignore our problems—we’re invited to glance at them but gaze at God. That’s where peace comes from. Not in pretending everything is okay, but in remembering that God is.
2. Remembering God in the Watches of the Night
Another part of the Psalm that stirred us was verse 6:
“On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.”
There’s something powerful about how we end our day. Nighttime can be one of the most spiritually open and vulnerable times. It’s quiet, free of distractions—if we let it be—and a moment where we can reflect on where we’ve met God.
We’ve been trying to build that into our own nightly rhythms. Whether it’s through a breath prayer, re-reading a verse from the morning, or asking, Where did I see God today?, those moments help us end the day anchored in God’s presence.
We’re also trying to pass this practice on to our kids. When our daughter wakes in the night—whether it’s a bad dream, a loud noise, or just a potty break—we gently remind her that she can talk to Jesus in those quiet moments. The night doesn’t have to feel scary or empty. It can be an invitation to remember God's nearness.
Even for those of us who wake up in the middle of the night (hello, 3 a.m. bathroom break crew), there’s a sacred opportunity to pause and say, God, you’re still here. I remember you.
3. Two Questions to Carry With Us
As we reflect on Psalm 63, we’re left with two questions that continue to shape our walk with God:
What does it look like for us to bless God and praise Him in the midst of our wilderness seasons?
How can we go to bed intentionally and think about God through the watches of the night?
We encourage you to bring those questions into your week. Be real with God in the hard places. Be intentional in the quiet ones. Let Psalm 63 be both an invitation and a guide.
