Earnestly

Today's Bible Reading: 2 SAMUEL 17:15-19:30; PSALM 3, 63

Psalm 63:1

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you: my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

We are eager for many things; for the check to come in, the semester to be over, the job to be done, the baby to be born and for the wedding to happen. Anticipation beckons action. Eagerness elicits earnestness. When one is genuinely earnest about something they push toward it. They eagerly purse it. They have a persistent passion for it. They seek for it. They thirst for it. They long for it. They are unfulfilled without it.

So, it should be with our delight in and desire for our God. A right relationship with God should result in an unquenchable thirst for Him. It should create an insatiable appetite to be with Him. It should illicit an unstoppable quest to know Him.

We should earnestly seek Him; not half-heartily, not superficially, not sporadically, and not as a sidebar or an addendum, but sincerely. Our life should be consumed by an intense impassioned pursuit of Him. Everything we do or strive for should be wrapped up in this holy quest. Seeking Him should supersede everything else.

We should thirst for Him. Thirst demands attention. It cannot be evaded or overlooked. You can’t negotiate with it or neglect it. You can’t simply shut it down or suppress it. If it is dismissed or disregarded, the effects are devastating. Thirst requires quenching. Yet for many of us spiritual dehydration dominates our soul. We are satisfied to drink from the broken cisterns of the world, rather than the replenishing and refreshing springs of living water that the Lord provides (Jer 2:13).

We should find fulfillment in Him. We are bombarded by life. We find ourselves wondering in a barren land. We become a desert of spirituality. Our desire for God diminishes. Our quest for Him subsides. We can become drained, spiritually dry. We find ourselves parched for lack of His presence. We no longer are eager and earnest in our pursuit of Him. Our soul becomes thirsty. Our flesh faints. Depleted, we look for relief around us, but find none.

David’s aged counsel cries out. Begin again to earnestly seek the Lord. Eagerly come to Him. It doesn’t seem like the solution, but it is. He is what you thirst for. He alone is your water in the wilderness. He is your fountain when you’re faint. It doesn’t take much to satisfy. A sip from His scripture, a drink from the well of His word, or a cup of communion with Him is all you need. Find your strength at His springs. Discover satisfaction for your thirsty soul. All you need do is come and drink. So come and find satisfaction at His well.

Today ask that Lord to make your soul thirst for Him. Ask Him to kindle and keep within you an eagerness to seek Him. Thank the Lord for those times of dryness that draw you to Him. Praise Him that He is always with you in your weary wilderness wanderings. Rejoice that in Him you find hope and help you need for your journey.