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; To see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary (Psalm 63:1&2)....There is something that every great man or woman of God that you may have known or read about has in common. It's not some carefully kept secret, although you might believe that it is, given the apparent rarity of this type of Christian in today's 21st century American society. In fact, it is something that Almighty God desires for ALL of His children, if we only would.
As we can see from the opening psalm here, David had a deep and passionate relationship with God. It is obvious that he knew the 'secret' of a genuine, deep closeness with his Creator and Redeemer, although as previously noted, it is no secret at all. David determined to seek the will, the face, the very heart of God, and to seek Him EARLY. This is how he lived his life. When he arose in the morning, he sought the Presence of the Lord. When he had worries, he took them to the Lord. When he was afraid, he sought comfort from the Lord. When he was persecuted, he sought the deliverance of the Lord. David didn't fear that his honesty and humanity would offend God. He didn't 'watch what he confessed', for fear of bringing negative things upon himself- he fully put his life- all of it- in the Mighty hands of his Lord....he TRUSTED Him.
Read through the psalms, and you will see that David's passion for his Lord is truly remarkable. Where did he get it? Where can WE get it? Well, thankfully, it's not something that's for some believers and not for others. We worship the same God that David did, and this wonderful God desires that WE seek Him as David sought Him- early and with all our heart. You see, it is God Himself who puts this desire and passion in our hearts for Him. He loves us very deeply and He gives us, His children, the privilege of loving Him back, and we may pursue that passion for Him, or we may- sadly- just let it lie.
It is really up to each one of us, and the sad fact is that so many of today's believers just don't care enough to really seek after Him. Beloved, this is not how God intended for our relationship with Him to be. We Christians are the most blessed people in the world, and we need to realize it. As God draws us to Himself, we absolutely must respond to His wooing if we truly desire to have the love relationship with Him that He intended for us- ALL of us! If we're to be effective in bringing lost souls to Him, we must HAVE a genuine love for Him. If non-believers see your spiritual apathy, they simply will not take you seriously when you try to tell them of the Savior's love for them, no matter how sincere you try to sound....
How important is seeking the Lord early, before the cares and distractions of life take hold of us, before our earnest attention is turned elsewhere? Well, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ gives us a clue in Mark 1:35- "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed". Now, if the Son of God thought it important to pray to the Father early, where do we get off trying to fit God into our busy schedules whenever we might find the time? A genuine, living, deep relationship with God cannot be faked. It's easy to spot an authentic lover of God. They have a depth, a spiritual reality, a life that literally radiates the love of the Savior. They do not live for themselves, but for Christ- and it shows. Their presence is joyful and enjoyable. It's also easy to spot someone who isn't so passionate about their Savior. Just a few minutes in their presence, and they reveal what their life is really all about. It's a shallow, self-filled existence- a real shame, considering what we all have been given by our God....
Amazing, isn't it, that we may have as much of God as we will, yet so few seem to want to really know Him as He intends for us to?.... Which brings us to a very few very important questions, and every believer alive must at some point come face to face with them. To the redeemed- What kind of relationship do you want with your Lord? Are you passionate for Him, or do you just want to go to heaven when you die? Is He the love, the heart throb of your life, the very reason you wake up each morning, or just someone you pray to before a meal?....
Believer, you may have the very heart of God, if you only will, or you may just reside on the fringes- a most pathetic place indeed. Which is it going to be? It is up to you.
En Agape,
Jim Ewing
