David Pursued God

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. [Psalm 63.1] 

Say what one will about David, but it should be seen by all that David pursued relationship with God. David pursued God.

Frankly, the concept of pursuing God is a novel thought to most. The pursuit of God in most people pales in comparison to their pursuit of life. In fact, David actually wrote about life in this very Psalm:

Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! [Psalm 63.3]

Sadly, as already stated, "living" is prioritized by most people higher than relationship with God. While this statement of fact elicits a variety of responses, overwhelmingly few of them are an action to change the fact. Most people put their shortcoming in this area out of mind religiously giving God priority only when it's convenient. This is seen over and again by "Christian" people mindlessly relying on debt, insurance, medicine and technology first only "seeking God" after the fact, or relying only on Him as a "supplement" to make debt, insurance, medicine and technology work better. Saying, "It isn't so," is just a lie. And, saying, "God knows my heart," is even worse.

In fact, God DOES know our hearts, but not like most people like to think He does:

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? [Jeremiah 17.9]

We are deceived on nearly every front to believe that living is more important than knowing God. This problem is only natural when advertisements, slogans, mantras, cliches and now social media all inadvertently join forces to elevate "living" as "all-important." In fact, the torrential rain of pursuing better life in every imaginable way, has become the "way of life," subtly displacing relationship with God with every drop.

If we are ever to earnestly search for God, soulishly thirsting for Him, longing for Him with our whole body, recognizing this land in which we live as parched and weary land where there is no water, then we must open our eyes to the truth of God's Word. We must stop the barrage of lies from social media, advertisements, and sometimes even from the pulpit itself, that tell us that living is all-important thus feeding our own lust "to live" and starving our pursuit of God. 

Until we have the revelation, like David, that God's love is better than life itself, we ARE and REMAIN "the world" and not "the redeemed."

Too much?

There is a reason Jesus did not hold back for words when He said:

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. [Luke 9.23]

There is hope however! That hope is found in repentance and faith. Repentance is "turning to God" (and thus, turning away from idols and sin). Jesus Christ is our justification for turning away from idols as faith in Him is faith that God is everything idols try to lure us away with. Paul the apostle said it best:

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4.19]

Not ironically, David penned the famous words of Psalm 23:

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. [Psalm 23.1] 

In contrast, television commercials, advertisements and social media tell us we have great needs that debt, insurance, medicine and technology stand ready to meet (at a price!). What's more, they indoctrinate us to believe our pursuit of life is just the way of life. But Jesus said:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14.6]

Yes, our hope is found in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. What good is living a long and prosperous life without Jesus only to die and go to hell? Conversely, what deterrent is death (sooner or later matters not) if it propels a believer into the very presence of God?

Father, may our pursuit be of You and You alone. Shed Your light on the lies that "living" is all-important, elevated even above relationship with You. May we understand that Jesus Christ is our everything and that debt, insurance, medicine and technology are nothing. May our lives reflect this in every possible circumstance. Please help us. So be it.