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A Song for When You Feel Empty (Psalm 63)

Ready for Impact (10 minutes)

Catch up on how things have been since the last time your Impact Group met. Allow anyone new to introduce themselves. Then ask group members:

  • What’s the perfect weather and temperature for you? What happens to you if you get too hot?

Ask for a volunteer to read Psalm 63 to the group, praying a short prayer that – however much they’ve come to know Jesus, they’d know him better as a result of your time together.

Watch

If you’re not gathered in person, the leader should project the video for the group through sharing their screen. If you’re using Zoom, make sure you have optimized your screen share for video.

Impacted by the Word (15 minutes)

Suggested questions to help your discussion.

  • How do David’s physical surroundings picture his inner longings and feelings?
  • David locates God’s power and glory in the sanctuary (verse 2) – even though it was a place of sacrifice. Why do you think David found sacrifices so powerful and glorious?
  • David sings in the shadow of God’s wings. What stands out to you from this metaphor?
  • David is confident that God will not let his enemies finally triumph over him (verses 9-11). How can we have similar confidence when we face difficult circumstances?
  • What do you think Psalm 63 teaches us about who God is and how he works?
  • How does David’s song illustrate where to look when we feel empty or dry?

After Israel were freed from Egypt, God commanded Moses to build a tent so that God could be approached in worship. This structure went by several names, including ‘the tent of meeting’, ‘the tabernacle’ and ‘the sanctuary’.

The sanctuary served as the portable room of God. Every detail taught the people something of God’s character. By David’s day, it had come to rest in Jerusalem. It was the place where God would live amongst and meet his people, primarily through an intricate God-given system of priests and sacrifices.

These sacrifices had overlapping functions (described in Leviticus 1-7) but together they reminded Israel of the severity of sin, and the way in which God’s forgiveness depended on another dying in their place. So these sacrifices weren’t a means of humans trying to somehow appease God, but a means of atonement provided by God himself.

The sanctuary was eventually superseded by a permanent structure, the temple (built by David’s son, Solomon). Both the sanctuary and the temple were fulfilled by Jesus, our perfect sacrifice. When Jesus died, once for all, he provided complete satisfaction for the sins of the world. Because we are declared righteous through Jesus’ atoning blood, every obstacle to friendship with God has been removed. Jesus’ death proves beyond doubt that God’s love is better even than life.

Impacting Our Hearts (10 minutes)

Discuss:

  • If your physical surroundings matched your own present longings and feelings, how would things look?
  • What might it look like for you to take the lessons of Psalm 63 to heart, however happy or sad you currently feel?

Share any further requests for personal prayer. Find out who’d like to lead the group in prayer, being assured that God hears your voices.

Impacting the University (15 minutes)

David pictures the love of God as being thirst-quenching. Watch the worship song All Who Are Thirsty:

  • Within your group, adopt a shared challenge from the list below inspired by the thirst-quenching love of God. Feed back during the week on how things have been.

Ideas for a shared challenge:

  • Add ice to a cold drink each day this week. As you drink, take time to pray for friends around you who are spiritually thirsty.
  • Get in ingredients to make smoothies alongside those you live with.
  • Buy in nicer drinks than you’d normally buy and share them with friends.
  • Go for a drink this week with someone you don’t live with.
  • Buy a drink for someone who needs one.
  • Lifewater is a Christian charity that distributes water-purification systems in developing nations. Consider raising some money for them together – and ask if friends want to join in!

Wrap-up

  • Who else could you invite to join your Impact Group next week? These friends don’t need to be followers of Jesus and may really appreciate being invited.
  • Find out who’s in your university city this week. Who’d be up for meeting socially?

You may have people in your Impact Group who are new to reading the Bible, and who are already seeing how much emotional sense it makes of our lives:

  • Let them know how much you’ve enjoyed having them, and encourage them to keep coming to your Impact Group!
  • Invite them to explore Uncover, a set of sessions in John’s Gospel, allowing them to investigate Jesus for themselves. Make it easy for those who are keen to opt in. (You can find hints on using Uncover online here).

Confirm the time that you’ll meet next week, and ask someone to close your time together in prayer.

Taking it further – links you might like to share with your Impact Group