I Need You God

Islington Baptist Church September 24, 2005

Sermon text: Psalms 63

Scripture readings: 2 Samuel 12:11-12;15:1-26, John 4:1-15;6:25-35

I need you God!

Aside from air, what is it that is essential to human life? Water and food!

Without food or water a person will soon die.

While food and water is essential to human life, did you know that without Jesus that one is spiritually dead and doomed to Hell?

During his time on earth, Jesus addressed this issue in a variety of ways. In John 4 Jesus, using the truth that water is essential to living, speaks of himself as being the source of life giving water, water that results in eternal life. In John 6 Jesus, utilizing the truth that bread/food is essential to staying alive, speaks of himself as being the bread of life and that whoever comes to him will never go hungry, neither will they ever thirst again.

The point: Everyone needs Jesus. If you don’t have Jesus you don’t have eternal life, you don’t have peace with God, you don’t have the forgiveness of your sins.

While everyone needs the Lord Jesus as their Savior, not everyone knows they need Jesus, let alone cares. This in fact describes the majority of people.

King David, whose Psalms we have been studying, knew that he needed the Lord God and that He alone could meet all of his needs.

To learn more turn with me to Psalms 63 (READ)

I. David’s prayer: I need you God!

The prayer and cry of David in verse 1 reminds me of a scene which probably all of us have seen enacted. A child injures their self or is hurt by another and what is their cry “I want my _______!”

At that particular moment you or I could offer them all the gold this world has, we could try to comfort them ourselves, we could sing a song for them or dance a funny jig and yet none of that will suffice. The only thing that will satisfy that young child is the one for whom they are crying out.

We know that the background to Psalms 63 is hard times for David. This time one of his sons has turned against him and is trying to take the kingdom and his life from him. Because of the threat David had to flee the city of Jerusalem in a hurry. Once again, as in years before, David is thrust out in the arid wilderness.

In the face of this crisis there is only 1 person that David wants; and that is God.

Are you able to identify with David’s words in verse 1? Have you ever cried out “I need you God!”

Have you ever prayed as David did “My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.”

If you haven’t prayed this in some shape or form it means that you don’t truly know God in a saving way for such longing and desperation for God and his ways and presence and blessing is tell tale mark of a true child of God.

David knew where and to whom to turn in times of trouble and not just in times of trouble but in times of peace and plenty too. Do you?

David knew that there is one alone to whom one can turn for true satisfaction and deliverance. David knew where to go to get all of his needs met: from the physical to the spiritual. Do you?

II. Why was David was so fixated on God? Why did David so deeply long for God? Why did he “pine for God” as a lover pines for their beloved?

1. God was his God and he was determined to be loyal to Him. v.1

-David had a personal relationship with God

-As one who had bound himself to God David was determined, much like Job was- who faced many a trial, to stay faithful to God no matter what

2. He had seen and experienced firsthand the power and glory of God v.2

Seen in nature: In Psalms 19:1 David says “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Seen in God’s workings in day to day life

Perhaps seen in his times at the Tabernacle:

While the Bible does not say as much, perhaps David, during his life had seen the glory cloud that speaks of God’s presence. (When the Israelites traveled through the wilderness and at various times when Moses went to the Tabernacle to minister, God came down in a cloud and presenced Himself in a special way in and around the Tabernacle.)

Either way, David held God in awe and had complete faith in God because He had the power.