Busy. It’s a word we’ve all come to use quite frequently. I’d say one of the top ten words in a person’s vocabulary. Personally, I haven’t felt that busy in a few years, just going about my daily routine, but lately I’ve come to feel a little run down. I’ve been . . . busy. There’s a lot going on; a lot that I’m expecting to happen; a lot that I’m praying for and working towards. It feels at times like my mind is a roller coaster, going round and round, faster and faster, and the stop button is nowhere in sight. Have you ever felt that way before? This type of lifestyle can take a toll on us, physically, emotionally, spiritually. If we’re not careful, busy can take first place and we can begin to ignore what’s most important. I’ve seen this try to take place in me, and I don’t like it.
It seems that even though I spend time with God in the morning, it’s not the quality time that I used to have with Him. It’s not communing with Him. A while back I wrote a blog about not just praying or going through the motions religious tradition has taught but communing with God. Commune in the Webster’s online dictionary means “to communicate intimately.” Bond was a synonym. I will reiterate my point in this blog that I made in the former; The only way we bond with people is by spending quality time with them. By getting to know their hearts. This is exactly what God wants. He wants us to bond with Him and get to know His heart.
The Apostle Paul said after thirty years of ministry that his earnest desire was to know God. This is what it says in Philippians 3:10 in the Amplified version, “[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], . . .” After thirty years of preaching and being closer to Jesus than any of the disciples, Paul’s desire was to know God. Can you imagine being so hungry for God that even thirty years of getting to know Him wasn’t enough? Can you say that’s your desire? My own has been dwindling, I’m ashamed to say, but I will not allow it to go out. I am determined to be on fire for God. He is my life-source, my best friend. I want to make Him proud with how I live my life on this earth. I want to fulfill every plan that He’s predestined for me. The only way for that to be accomplished is by me seeking Him continually and getting to know His voice. Friends, things on the To Do list can wait. Time spent with God cannot. He wants to fellowship with us, to show us things by His Holy Spirit and lead us in His direction, the path for ultimate joy and blessing in life. It’s up to us to choose.
God won’t make you seek Him. It’s completely up to us. He’s given us freewill. He told the Israelites He laid before them life and death, blessing and cursing. Then He said choose. The same goes for us in this day. Besides, don’t you think it means a little more when you want to spend time with someone, rather than being forced to? I would much rather know someone sought my presence because they desired to be near me. Make that your motive when you go to seek God. Desire to be in His presence. Look at Psalm 42:1-2 for a moment.
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
I’ve learned that the hart (which is a male deer) suffers extreme thirst from its habitat, even more so when it is being hunted. It longs for water. When it finds an avenue for which to quench its thirst, it eagerly plunges into the water and drinks and drinks and drinks, as if its thirst can’t be quenched. This is a great example that the Psalmist uses in comparing his own thirst for God. Then he asks when shall he appear before God. The Amplified version states “behold the face of God.” I kind of like that version better. It gives us the idea of seeking God’s face and not His hands. Seeking intimacy and fellowship with God rather than provision. (Don’t get me wrong, God loves to bless us and supply our every need! It’s alright to ask for provision. He welcomes it! But there should be times when we seek to know Him rather than the material things He can give us.)
The last scripture I want to mention is Psalm 63 verse 1. “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. . .” I want to be like David in this Psalm. Thirsty for God, longing for Him, seeking Him early to find Him in this dry and thirsty land. We can take a lot from this scripture. Think about it. Where there is no water, there is no life. Nothing can dwell in a place that doesn’t have water. There’s no life there. We can take this scripture and see the dry and thirsty land as a spiritually dead place. The people in this place have no relationship with God. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4 that He would have given her living water. He is the avenue of a relationship with God, to life. When we drink of this water, we shall never thirst. I think it’s safe to say that our land is dry and thirsty, spiritually speaking. But those of us who know God have the privilege of seeking Him and never being in want.
Make a choice today. A quality decision with heart. Fellowship or everyday, busy, life? Sometimes we forget that fellowship is life. Love God by seeking Him, His face not His hands. Strive to know Him, even when you think that you already know everything there is to know. I assure you there is so much more than we could even think. Make God first, your top priority, and allow everything else to fall into place behind Him. Our days will be better because of it. I know I won’t regret it, and neither will you. Seek Love.
God is Love. (1 John 4:8)
