Have you ever found yourself making a comparison about something and trying to communicate how valuable it is? Often what we do is elevate what we value by comparing it to things that everyone would acknowledge are necessary and good. David does just that in Psalm 63:3. In the first five verses of the Psalm it is clear that David has a true pursuit of the Lord: “I will seek you earnestly” (1); “My soul thirsts for You” (2); “My flesh yearns for You” (2); “I will bless you as long as I live” (4); “My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness” (5).
But in verse 3 David makes a comparison with something that is clearly precious to each of us and nearly unmatched in its value: “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise you.” The Lord is the covenant keeping God. He has loyal love based on His gracious promises made to us as His people, all of which are mediated to us through our union with Jesus Christ. David compares that lovingkindness to life and says there really is no comparison! Knowing and experiencing God’s lovingkindness is better than living. Why is that? One practical answer is that when this life is done, knowing and experiencing God’s lovingkindness is not done for those in Christ. Consider as well that if knowing and experiencing God’s lovingkindness is better than living, than it must be better than anything and everything that comes with living in this world. You name it and compare it with God’s lovingkindness and there “is no comparison.” So why do we not always experience this reality? It has much to do with our “seeking.” David opens the Psalm with this: “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly.” We are all seeking. We are either seeking earnestly our life and the things of our life, or we are earnestly seeking God who is better than life. Why do we feel dull or engaged and thriving in our personal time of worship? Our family time of worship? Our worship as a gathered assembly? It has much to do with earnestly seeking God and personally knowing and experiencing God’s lovingkindness our our lack of such a pursuit. Those who live in the reality that His lovingkindness is better than life, are people who resolve to use their lips to praise Him (Psalm 63:3b). May we earnestly seek the Lord and rightly value His lovingkindness this week.
