The Wisdom Journey

Security and Satisfaction (Psalms 63–65)

• Stephen Davey

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Desert thirst meets harvest joy as we walk with David through Psalms 63–65 and explore where real security and satisfaction are found. We start in the wilderness of Judah, where a fugitive king models what to do when life feels sun-baked and brittle: seek God early, name the ache, and let spiritual hunger set the tone for the day. From there we move from the dinner table to the garden, discovering why the soul that clings by faith is upheld by God’s strong right hand—and how timely provision often arrives at the last moment through Scripture, friendships, and unexpected kindness.

The story shifts to the sting of words in Psalm 64, where tongues become swords and bitter speech flies like poisoned arrows. Rather than absorbing every hit or striking back, we show how refuge in God becomes the wiser path to vindication. It’s a practical, countercultural move: pray first, set wise boundaries, refuse the cycle of retaliation, and trust the Lord to judge justly. Then the landscape opens into the rich farmland of Psalm 65. We celebrate answered prayer, grace that atones, and the river of God that fills furrows, softens ridges, and crowns the year with bounty. The picture isn’t just agricultural poetry—it’s a roadmap for a fruitful life rooted in God’s presence and nourished by obedience.

Threaded through it all is a simple claim with deep implications: counterfeit pleasures can amuse for a while, but only God can satisfy the heart. Security grows when we lean into His faithfulness; satisfaction deepens when we live under His word. And the joy we taste now is a preview of the feast to come—worship in God’s presence, shared life with the redeemed, and the unending goodness of heaven. If today feels like a desert, there is water ahead. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review to help others find The Wisdom Journey. What kind of abundance are you asking God to grow in your life right now?

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SPEAKER_00:

You weren't created to thrive apart from God. Nobody was. We're designed to thrive in the presence of our Creator. David understood this, and as we continue through the Psalms, this truth is reflected in Psalms 63 through 65. Praising God for his faithfulness. Trusting Him when we're under attack, and obeying His word are the keys to enjoying security and satisfaction. Stephen has a lesson for you today called Security and Satisfaction.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, as we open our study today in Psalm 63, the heading reads, A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. And let me tell you, the wilderness of Judah was a desolate place. It's literally thousands of acres of rolling, sun-baked hills. Now in verse 9, David indicates why he's out there. He writes, Those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth. David is at this point a fugitive in the desert. He's either running from King Saul, or more than likely from the clues we can put together, he's probably running from his rebellious son Absalom, who's master-minded an attempt to take the throne of Israel. Now, in this Psalm, David actually offers guidance to help us whenever we find ourselves in a rather desolate place. So let's learn from him. He writes here in verse one, O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my flesh feints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Now we might be offered a lot of things, you know, to entertain us, to get our minds off our thirst and our hunger. We got a lot of amusement today. Interestingly, the word muse means to think, with that prefix ah, amusement means no or not to think or to be distracted from thinking. Amusement might keep you occupied so you don't think. Frankly, I went for the food. I'd make my way over to this one particular stand, and I'd wait for one of those deep fried Snicker bars. They'd take a snicker bar, they'd poke a little stick through it, make it look like a corn dog, they'd cover it with batter, and then they'd stick it in a pot of oil to deep fry it. After a few seconds, that candy bar would melt on the inside, and the outside would be fluffy and crispy, and then the chef, who obviously knew how to cook, rolled it in powdered sugar. When he handed it to me, you know, I could almost hear my aorta slamming shut. Now, obviously, I wasn't thinking. I wasn't doing much thinking there at that amusement park, but that sure was good. Well, that's how David's describing the world. It might be sweet, enjoyable, entertaining, but it's not very good for you. It's gonna leave you longing for something richer, something deeper, something more meaningful. See, David is thirsty for the Lord. He writes here that he earnestly seeks after God. This word earnestly can be translated early. So at the beginning of the day, David is drawn to the Lord uh by his spiritual thirst. David's also uh hungry for the things of God. He writes here in verse five, My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips. Now he's not talking about a deep fried Snicker bar here. In fact, have you ever considered uh uh the truth that walking with God is like eating a well prepared meal, a a soul nourishing, a heart satisfying meal. It'll turn into a thanksgiving meal, by the way, just like it does here with David, who begins to praise the Lord with joyful lips. Well now David changes the metaphor from the dinner table to out there in the garden. He writes here in verse 8, My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me. The picture here is of a clinging vine. It's a description of David holding on to God that is keeping the Lord close. But you'll notice that God's right hand upholds him. The right hand is the hand of power, that's the sovereign hand of authority, and that's holding David. So David is clinging by faith, and the Lord's powerful hand is upholding David. So this relationship is a two-way street. I wonder if 2 Samuel 17 was the inspiration for this psalm, because David is on the run from his enemies. He's sitting out in the wilderness, he's been betrayed. Uh he has with him his family, family members, he has a small band of soldiers, he's got a few friends, and they're not sure what to do next. And then all of a sudden, wagons appear loaded with food, with supplies, provided by some loyal friends, without even being asked. His friends just show up. And the explanation that they offer here in verse 29 is this the people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness. This is a wonderful picture of what the Lord does for you and me uh to this day. It's his help, his sustenance, his provision arriving at just at just the right time, sometimes just at the last moment. Maybe it's his word, a passage that encourages your heart. It could be a friend who gives you a call or uh sends you a note. God meets you and gives you the right provision to encourage you along the way. Maybe that's what you need today. Maybe you know some people who need you today. Maybe you need to drive your wagon over to their place and encourage them. They're spiritually hungry. Uh they're thirsty, they're in a desolate wilderness place. Now, the next psalm, Psalm 64, is a is a short psalm, but it has a familiar theme. We'll recognize. David is writing about having to deal with hurtful and discouraging words. He's praying here for strength to endure it all. He he writes in these opening verses that his his enemies have tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear. I mean, they're they're shooting arrows at David and and and they're tipped with poisonous words. Well, what do you do when you're under this kind of surprise attack? Well, uh frankly, you you're you're not supposed to just stand there and see how many arrows you can take. You go to the Lord. You take it all to the Lord. You can't take this alone. That's what David does here. He seeks vindication in God alone. Uh he he runs to the Lord. And David writes here in verse 10 he he goes to take refuge in him that is in the Lord. Now, Psalm 65 is as far away from the battlefield as you you can get. It it seems like David takes us to some well-watered farmland. Uh the soil is rich, it's moist. This is this is that farmer's dream plot. And the verses are filled now with praise because of all the blessings that he has received from God. In verse 2, uh the Lord hears the prayers of those who come to him with the right heart. In in verse three, he's praising God for his grace. He writes, When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. Now every farmer reading this psalm understands the depth of David's praise as he writes here in verse nine. You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it. The river of God is full of water. You provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers and blessing its growth. Well, like I said, this is a this is a farmer's favorite psalm. This is another way of describing the satisfaction that God alone can bring, as our hearts become plots of ground in which God works. David David writes here about the bumper crop at harvest time, here in verse 11. You crown the year with your bounty, your wagon tracks overflow with abundance, the pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. Listen, beloved, what makes these psalms possible uh what makes them so inspiring, that that gives us security and satisfaction is the connection between our obedience to God's word and the faithfulness and the timely provision from the hand of God. C. S. Lewis once wrote that true pleasure in life, true satisfaction is the invention of God. Satan has never been able to manufacture a single genuine pleasure in life. The best Satan can do, by the way, is amuse you for a little while. Maybe maybe you get something to eat that you probably shouldn't eat more than once a year, if that isn't good for you. Lasting, a true and lasting satisfaction. Well, that's something we receive from walking with God and just think of what's ahead. Think of the pleasures of heaven to come, seeing God, worshiping the Lord, fellowshipping with the redeemed, walking the streets of gold along that river that we're told cascades from God's throne, enjoying fruit year round from the tree of life, from that orchard that grows along the river bank, all that and so much more. That's gonna satisfy us one day, and it's gonna last forever. It's gonna last forever. Well, until our next wisdom journey together, beloved, through God's word, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

SPEAKER_00:

Thanks for listening to The Wisdom Journey with Stephen Davey. To learn more about us and access all of our Bible teaching resources, visit wisdomonline.org. Our phone number is 866-482-4253. And you can email us at info at wisdomonline.org. Stephen developed this daily program to help you know what the Bible says, understand what it means, and apply it to your life. So please join us next time to continue the wisdom journey.