Introduction

A man bought a new hunting dog. Eager to see how he would perform, he took him out to track a bear. No sooner had they gotten into the woods than the dog picked up the trail. Suddenly he stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had caught the scent of a deer that had crossed the bear's path. A few moments later he halted again, this time smelling a rabbit that had crossed the path of the deer. And so, on and on it went until finally the breathless hunter caught up with his dog, only to find him barking triumphantly down the hole of a field mouse.

Sometimes we as Christians are like that. We start out with high resolve, keeping Christ first in our lives. But soon, so very soon, our attention is diverted to things of lesser importance. One pursuit leads to another until we've strayed far from our original purpose.

William Cowper, an 18th century song-writer, realized one day that something like this had happened in his life. So he prayed, "Oh, for a Closer Walk with God." He asked,

Where is the blessedness I knew, when first I sought the Lord? Where is the soul-refreshing view of Jesus and his Word?

What peaceful hours I once enjoyed! How sweet their memory still! But they have left an aching void the world can never fill.

If we look at the title of Psalm 63 we will find a number of things:

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

First David is the author of this Psalm

Second, he was not in a temple or worshipful tabernacle

He was in the Desert of Judah

If we are to believe David the conditions were harsh

He was alone, removed, obscure, separated from every comfort and friend.

He suffered thirst, hunger, pain, loneliness, and exhaustion

Lets turn to Psalm 63 and verse 1

In the desert David had many needs

Still, David does not tell about those things

He tells about his greatest need

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.

We can tell that David is not truly concerned about food, water, comfort, or rest

How would we feel if we in his circumstances?

Would we be able to look beyond the physical to the spiritual?

What David hungers and thirsts for above anything else is God.

David seeks to be fully satisfied in God alone

David is searching for a deep communion with the Lord. David, we could say, wants to have a closer and dearer walk with God.

Why is David seeking God? David mentions a "dry and thirsty land."

As far as his relationship with God is concerned, David has reached or had reached a dry spell.

He wasn't as close to God as, for instance, when he was a shepherd boy the time when he wrote, The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Just imagine as he played his harp while he sang God's praises and at night he marveled over all the stars God had put in the night sky.

The "dry and thirsty land" mentioned by David is also a vivid picture of much of the church today.

In many churches so few, so very few believers seem to seek God above anything else.

So many, so very many are caught up in seeking the "stuff" of this world.

As a result, their souls are empty and barren.

So what we need today are Christian men and women and young people and children who are captivated by the pursuit of God, men and women and young people and children who want and seek a closer walk with God.

David was in a desert

I have lived in the desert

I was born and raised part of my life in the Mojave Desert

I was once stationed not too far from the Bonnyville Salt flats

There is beauty in the desert

But one does not have to live in the Mojave to feel like David

We can sit in our nice clean air conditioned homes

With plenty of water

And plenty of food

And near our friends and families

And still be hungry and dry in the spiritual

In his ancient song David tells us five elements to a closer walk with God.

David knew what he had to do and what we have to do to have a closer walk with God.

And so, turn to Psalm 63:2 for the very first of these elements

Body

Go to Church

So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.

A David's first prescription for a closer walk with God is found in this verse

To have a closer walk with God one of the things we have to do is attend worship services.

This is so simple and so basic yet many Christians can't be bothered with regular and faithful attendance at worship.

One pastor mentioned this prescription to one of his less faithful parishioners, they replied "Pastor, going to church on Sunday is not going to save you."

He was right, of course. But, then, going to church every once in a while is not going to save you either.

Nevertheless, if you want a closer walk with God, and who here doesn't want a closer walk with God, you will desire to come as often as you can.

It is difficult for me to reconcile an individual’s Christianity with failure to attend church services as regularly as possible

David longs for a closer walk with God.

So he talks about worship attendance:

So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.

In saying this, David reminds us of why we go to church: to meet with God and His Christ.

Oh yes, we come and greet our friends and fellow worshipers, but it should be, primarily, to see God and Christ

Why do you come to church?

Out of habit?

Because that is the way you were brought up?

Out of obedience to the fourth commandment?

Because of the beauty of the songs?

Because of the charisma of the minister and the inspiration of his sermons?

Because of the fervor of the prayers?

Because of the joy of Christian fellowship?

To put on a good appearance?

When it comes right down to it, there is only one reason for coming to church.

It is the reason of the psalmist.

We come to church, first and foremost, to be in the presence of God and His Christ.

We come to church, first and foremost, to meet with God.

We don't come out of habit or obedience.

We don't come because of the prayers and songs.

We don't come because of the building and fellowship.

We come because we want to meet with God and Christ.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "None find joy in worship but those who throw their hearts into it. Neither prayer nor praise nor hearing of the word will be profitable to those who leave their hearts behind.

Those who want a closer walk with God, then, make a point of attending worship as often as they can.

Turn to Hebrews 10:24 & 25

Some object, I don’t have to go to church to worship

I don’t have to go to church to be in the presence of God

I don’t have to go to church to seek Christ

That is perfectly true

However, Scripture tells us

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, {25} not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

For David’s second element is found in Psalm 63:3 - 5

Praise and Glorify God

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. {4} Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. {5} My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

David's second prescription for a closer walk with God

David mentions glory and praise.

And, he also tells us how and when to do this:

With our lips

With our mouth

And with our hands as long as we live

Please turn to Psalm 111:1

To have a closer walk with God one of the things we have to do is always praise and glorify Him with all of our being and in all of life.

And to praise and glorify God in church

Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.

Psalms 22:22 (NKJV) I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

Psalms 22:25 (NKJV) My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.

Psalms 35:18 (NKJV) I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.

I could go on but understand this, we can and should praise God in our personal devotions

But our praise of God in the congregation brings Him more glory

Praise is an important element in our walk with God.

Unfortunately, many of believers are afraid of praise because they associate it with some sort of wild, uncontrolled, highly emotional "praise service," in which individuals faint, scream, jump around, and dance in the aisles.

We don’t do that because the Pentecostals and charismatics do

Listen, praise is important!

Those who want a closer walk with God make sure they praise and glorify Him:

We are to praise Him with our body

We are to praise Him with our soul

We are praise Him with our whole heart

We are to praise Him with our minds

We are to praise Him with our mouths

And we are to praise Him with our hands

here are many sorrows and trials in life.

If we allow them to, they can so easily make us bitter and angry toward God and pull us away from Him

If I recall correctly I once told you about the African "taste berry". It called a "taste berry" because it changes a person's taste so that everything eaten tastes sweet and pleasant. Sour fruit, even if eaten several hours after the "taste berry," becomes sweet and delicious.

We could say that praise is the "taste berry" of Christianity, and when our hearts are filled with praise, nothing that God permits in our life can draw us from Him.

Is you heart full of sorrowing?

Sweeten your grief with praise.

Is your soul burdened?

Lighten your burden by praising God.

Is your life full of disappointment?

Dispel your disappointment with praise.

Are you suffering from illness?

Grow strong in soul, praising God that

He loves you enough to bring these things into your life to Grow you.

Keep the "taste berry" of praise in your hearts, and it will do for you what the "taste berry" of Africa does for the African.

Those, then, who want a closer walk with God make a point of praising and glorifying Him.

Now turn to Psalm 63 verse 6 and David’s third prescription for a closer walk with God

Meditate Upon the Lord

When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.

David's third prescription for a closer walk with God

To have a closer walk with God one of the things we have to do is meditate upon God and the things of God.

We all have vivid imaginations.

In fact, those imaginations can get us into trouble if they are not kept under control.

Ugly pride or lust, hatred or jealousy, can feed our minds vivid pictures which can lead to terrible sins.

This is precisely the case of "committing adultery in the heart" which Jesus mentions in Matthew 5:28

Allowing our minds to imagine the wrong things can ultimately result in drawing us away from God.

Filling our mind and our thoughts with lust, violence, and greed can only result in poisoning our relationship with the Lord.

To have a closer walk with God it is important that we fill our mind and our thoughts with the right things.

David's suggestion: meditate upon the Lord and the things of the Lord.

Turn to Colossians 3:2

Think about God.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Don’t you find it interesting that David talks about meditating upon God "on my bed" and during "the watches of the night?"

When you are suffering a little insomnia what fills your mind?

Your see, Satan loves to come to us in the darkness of the night.

He loves to have us fall asleep with our minds filled with violence, lust, greed because then he can plague our dreams all night long.

That's why it is so good to ponder God's Word and allow the mind to dwell upon God before we go to bed.

Restless, fretful nights are calmed by moments of meditation.

A time of prayer and Godly meditation is refreshing to the soul

And often results with a song in your heart the whole of the next day

Those, then, who want a closer walk with God make a point of meditating upon Him rather than on the garbage and filth of the world around us.

Now let us turn to Psalm 63 and verses 7 & 8 and David’s fourth prescription for a closer walk with God

Sing

Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. {8} My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.

To have a closer walk with God one of the things we have to do is sing.

Now imagine: David was by himself in the wilderness. He had no audience. Yet, he sang for joy to the Lord. David knew that singing is essential in a believer's walk with God.

Not to long ago I told you about the Beekman’s who became missionaries to the Chol Indians of southern Mexico. They worked 25 years with other missionaries to translate the New Testament into the language of the Chol Indians. Today the Chol Church is thriving. It numbers more than 12,000 Christians. It is financially self-supporting. What's interesting is that when the Beekmans came, the Chol Indians didn't know how to sing. With the coming of the gospel, however, the believers in the tribe became known as "the singers." "

They love to sing now," said the missionaries, "because they have something to sing about."

My sweet mother in law bustles about the house doing her chores

Washing dishes

Making the meals

Doing the laundry

You know all those drearly mundane things

But, she always has a song on her lips, many of the old hymns so full of God’s praise and solid theology

It seems that in many congregations of believers there are people who don't sing

Others barely open their mouths.

Turn to Psalm

I want to tell you that it doesn't make any difference to the Lord how good or bad you may sound.

It doesn't make any difference to Him whether you are on or off tune.

What does make a difference to Him is whether you sing or keep silent.

Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:

Psalms 81:1 (KJV) Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

Psalms 95:1 (KJV) O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Psalms 98:4 (KJV) Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

God has given us the gift of music in order to draw us to Himself.

In song our hearts and our voices are raised to the very throne of God.

Music and song is used to give us a closer walk with God.

But it can also be used to draw us away from God and Christ.

So let me ask you especially the young people and adult singles: what kind of music do you listen to?

does it draw you closer to God or does it pull you away from Him?

There is much music on the radio and TV today that glorifies Satan and evil rather than God.

So I want to warn you to make sure that in your music God is glorified.

Let me say this, I am not condemning Rock, Rap, R & B, or any particular style of music

That a person must judge for themselves

Just ask yourself, where is my music taking me?

Those, then, who want a closer walk with God make a point of raising their voices to Him in song.

Now, turn to Psalm 63:9 - 11 for the last prescription for a closer walk with God

Rejoice

But those who seek my life, to destroy it, Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. {10} They shall fall by the sword; They shall be a portion for jackals. {11} But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

To have a closer walk with God one of the things we have to do is to rejoice.

To rejoice in God is to rejoice in God's gifts.

David thinks especially of God's gift of grace and mercy for him a sinner.

But he also thinks of many other blessings that God showers upon him.

David reminds us that those who want a closer walk with God rejoice despite the circumstances of their life.

David is in the desert because he has enemies who pursue him and hate him and seek to kill him.

He is hungry and thirsty and tired.

Yet, he announces that he will continue to "rejoice in God."

Please turn to Philippians 4:4

This is what Paul says to the church at Philippi:

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Whatever the circumstances, no matter what happens, God's people are to rejoice in God.

And, if David had reason to rejoice, then we, in Christ, have even more to rejoice in because ours is the cross and the grave and the Holy Spirit

Perhaps your life is filled with tragedy and hardship and there is a lot of that, isn't there?

I think of widows and others mourning the loss of loved ones, parents agonizing over wayward children, members struggling to live as a Christian without any encouragement or assistance from an unbelieving spouse.

I think of those who have gone or are going through the heart-ache of divorce either in their own lives or in the lives of loved ones.

I think of those families with loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan

I think of those who find themselves struck with a debilitating disease.

I think of those struggling to make ends meet.

It is tough in such situations to feel any joy.

In fact, joy is the last thing you feel.

If you want a closer walk with God even in such circumstances you are to "rejoice in the Lord."

Conclusion

David's message to us:

Go to church

Praise and glorify God

Meditate upon the Lord

Sing

And rejoice

What happens if we do this? The result is a closer walk with God