Fourth Sunday of Advent: Love

By Pastor Chad

Though God holds all of His attributes equally and infinitely, there is something about His display and attribute of love that pierces to the heart of mankind. Perhaps it is the fact that the attribute of love entails many other attributes (like goodness and righteousness) or perhaps it is because we all long to experience and receive love. It is like it is hardwired in us. And yet, it’s as if this world can never provide a suitable display of love to fully and truly satisfy that longing. It’s as if our longing for love can only be satiated by God alone. 

Few biblical passages project a longing for God like Psalm 63. If one were to simply take the first verse, one gets the picture that the psalmist (David) makes God the paramount focus of his life. He writes, “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.” It is generally assumed that David was fleeing for his life when he wrote this psalm. Absalom, his son, led a rebellion to usurp his rule. David fled Jerusalem as Absalom’s forces attacked (2 Samuel 15). Despite the life-threatening circumstances and the dire situation, David still seeks after God. He longs for God with his entire being (“my soul” and “my flesh”). In fact, the wilderness of Judah provides a perfect analogy for his longing: he thirsts for God as in a dry and weary land.

You and I have probably never experienced such a stressful situation as David faced, yet we have faced difficult times. In those instances, can you declare what David declares? Can you claim you seek after God? By that, I do not mean you seek the things God can give you, but that you seek God Himself. 

In verse 3 of Psalm 63, we get a picture as to why David seeks God above all else. He proclaims, “[Y]our steadfast love is better than life…” David seeks after God because it is with God that he finds love. The love of God satisfies his soul more than anything else. The love for which we all long can only be fully and completely satisfied in the love of God. Sure, we all desire love from others in our life–and we need love from parents, family, friends, etc., but it is only with the love of God that we find that soul-pleasing attribute that we can find nowhere else.

Thoughtfully consider what we are reading here: David is running for his life. His very son is attempting to overthrow his rule and kill him. He flees from his palace to the desert of Judah. In such travail, David does not cry out “Woest me! My life is so bad. Life is pointless!” No, it is as if David centers his focus: What is important in life? What truly matters in life? 

God matters. The love God has for us matters. And all who are in the presence of God will see His glory and power. All who bask in God's steadfast love will understand that it is better than life itself. As David writes in verse 5, it is with God that His “soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food…”