Verse of the Day (October 7, 2019)

Verse of the Day (October 7, 2019) – (1) For the believer, awareness of the presence of God is better than life itself (v. 3). In contrast to the rebel, who squirms at the nearness of God, the reconciled worship Immanuel (v. 2; cf. Rom. 2:15). At times, the Father proves the necessity of that dependence by hiding his face. In this way, the believer’s dependence on union with the life of God (ultimately made possible through Christ) is as real as the human need for water and confirms the reality of God’s love, which is more real than our present circumstances (Ps. 63:1; cf. 1 Pet. 1:8). (2) David’s experience of blessing while he thirsts illustrates Jesus’ beatitude, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt. 5:6). Any suffering Christian can testify to the quiet assurance that comes from realizing that there would be no such longings for righteousness if the faith were not real. Even while he lay awake in his anguish, David knew the peace that surpasses understanding under God’s wings and in the clutches of his embrace (Ps. 63:6–8; Phil. 4:7). (3) Living in the same blessed faith that Jesus articulated on the mount, David confirmed that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness “will be satisfied,” while the enemies of God’s people will be destroyed (Ps. 63:5, 9, 10). God’s people will “rejoice” not merely because their persecutors are conquered; they will rejoice in the Lord because his truth is vindicated as he fulfills his redemptive promises (v. 11; John 15:11; Rom. 4:11–12). (Gospel Transformation Study Bible) #BMSeminary