There are two passages assigned for today!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 63
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. [Psalms 63:1-5]
I have long loved these words of David, and wished that they reflected my heart more than they do.
There are times when I feel this way, but there are also times when I am not hungering and thirsting for God – when I am content as I am, or when I am hungering and thirsting for other things.
But eventually the lack of God desire, or the desire for things other than God, leaves me empty, weak and discouraged.
And I find myself longing to be satisfied deep on the inside – desperate, poor, empty, dissatisfied.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself! – YES, this is what I need, this is what I desire!
God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. [Matthew 5:3-8]
Jesus describes the poor, weak, humbled and desperate heart that longs for life as it ought to be, the heart that is focused (pure) in its desire for God.
Those who find themselves desperate, poor, empty, dissatisfied, and who look to God to be filled – they will be satisfied, they will see God!
The hard thing about these words of Jesus is that they show that we need to go through this desperation in order to attain the fulfillment.
This means that we should not be surprised in this life when we do feel desperate; in fact we should seek it!
It implies a warning for those who are comfortable, complacent, satisfied in this life.
As long as we remain separated from God and living on this side of Jesus’ return, we will always be lacking the fullness we were created for.
And yet, Jesus also speaks of fulfillment and satisfaction, of life to the full, or joy that this world cannot know, and a peace that is not of this world.
With the gift of the Spirit, we receive the first fruits (or a sample taste) of the fullness that will one day be ours.
So yes, even now we can taste the fullness that we will one day enjoy completely!
I suppose the way to taste this sampler of eternal love and joy and peace, we need to long for it now.
If we are not longing for it, or if we are finding our satisfaction elsewhere, then we will not taste God’s unfailing love, which is better than life.
These words today issue an invitation (and a challenge) to taste and see His goodness, to hunger and thirst for God.
PRAYER:
Lord, I am hungry, I am thirsty, but I am not always looking to You to satisfy these desires. Thank You for reminding me to earnestly search for You!