THE SEARCH FOR THE ETERNAL

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. (Psalm 63:1 NKJV)

This Psalm has a special fascination for those who can no longer gather with the assemblies of God's people. David was in flight from Saul, wandering in the wilderness. The land around is waterless and weary, and his enemies are on his trail. But all this seems secondary to his longing for God. Weary and thirsty though he is, his most agonizing desire is for God, the living God, as he had seen and known Him in the tent, which he had reared on Zion for His worship. The barren wilderness seemed to reflect the craving of his soul for God.

In many hearts and lives his mood is reflected today. Our soul thirsts and longs for the vision of the power and glory of God, for the communion of saints. Perhaps David lays greater emphasis on the Sanctuary than we do on our places of worship. We must remember that the glory of the Shekinah shone between the Cherubim in that hallowed shrine.

In Psalm 63:5-7, the longing soul seems satisfied. As we long for God, we find Him. As we seek, we possess (Isaiah 41:17-18). As we remember Him, we break into song. The fact is that our yearnings after God are the response of our hearts to the beat of His heart and to the knock of His hand. Prayer is the response of our nature to the circulation of His lifeblood within us. When we seek His face, it is in answer to His own summons. "When You said, Seek you my face; my heart said unto You, Your face, Lord, will I seek." As one has stated it: "Our desires and aspirations are responses to the outflowings of the Holy Spirit in silent or expressed communion."

The climax of the Psalm is reached in Psalm 63:8. Notice the three-fold steps: my soul thirsts; my soul is satisfied; my soul follows hard after You. Remember Him upon your bed! Meditate on Him through the night watches! Hide yourself under the shadow of His wings! Keep step with His purposes! Follow close behind Him! Whosoever follows hard on God's trail, trusting in Him, rejoicing in His companionship, reaching out toward Him, will feel his own outstretched hand enclosed in a strong and tender grasp, steadying against weariness and failure, and making His own footsteps a way for our feet.

PRAYER

Bestow upon me also, Father God, understanding to know You, diligence to seek You, wisdom to find You, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace You. I pray this in Jesus' name, AMEN.

God's Daily Promise

Promise #341:
If your parents reject you, I will take you in.

Psalm 27:10 (WEB)
When my father and my mother forsake me,
then Yahweh will take me up.