“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.” – Psalm 63:1 

THERE IS A simultaneity when enjoying our walk with God we find pleasance in all good things around us; our senses are inevitably enhanced when we are close to Him –

‘Heaven above is softer blue,
Earth around is sweeter green;
Something lives in every hue
Christless eyes have never seen…’

– but how often have we strayed and wandered from the living God because of what appeals to our senses and how often have we been enamoured by creation rather than the Creator Himself, Who is the essence of all that exists? There is, of course, nothing wrong with admiring the beauty of God’s artistry so long as it results in worshipping and adoring Him.

Is God to be enjoyed in order to enjoy all things around us? Is He perceived as some kind of ‘plug-in-container’ or ‘add-on’ to intensify all our senses? Honesty will serve us well in that what is largely witnessed today is a pursuit of God as a means to self-gratification; obeying God so that in turn He prospers us. We know what Scripture states, in that He does bless those who are obedient to Him, but our fallen nature (our flesh – which we still war against) is inclined to mould such truths to its preference. There are many people who twist the Scriptures unto their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16).

Although we may be granted what we long and pine for, if our hearts are not fixed on God, those blessings will wither, leaving us dry to the point of even despising the things we once held dear. Materialism – in large or small quantities – is something we need to beware of throughout our pilgrimage as Christians, no matter how mature we are in the faith. Material things will guarantee a temporary fix but can never satisfy us or calm the aching abyss in our hearts; human nature has a tendency to rapidly tire of them and in no amount of time sets out on another pursuit to gratify higher demands, cravings and addictions. Idolatry takes on many forms if God takes second place in our lives. God has so constituted us that only He can give what ends our soul thirst (John 4:13) when we put Him first. It is then we truly understand what David felt: “…Your steadfast love is better than life…” (Psalm 63:3).

Even in all our zeal to study our Bibles and theology, there is the danger of ‘fulfilling’ our duty which more often than not leads to drudgery and burnout. Are we seeking God when we read the Scriptures? It takes no effort to read our Bibles like any other ordinary textbook, even though we may obtain some satisfaction. To seek Him is to go beyond the written Word, perceiving the Spirit behind what we read and to hear Him speak that life into our hearts. Unbeknown to many, we can make an idol out of our devotional times. The quiet moments can certainly still our minds and calm our anxiety, thinking we have the peace of God when in actuality it is anything other than that. The peace of God only comes as a result of God making Himself known to us; there is no question about it – it goes beyond mere feeling and words.

Notice what David states: “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.” David was king and yet longed for nothing less than knowing God; everything paled into insignificance, understanding that nothing else would satisfy. It wasn’t things – material riches – that were able to fulfil. It wasn’t mere knowledge that brought manna to the soul. Neither was it human friendships or relationships that satisfied. “You alone I long for.” Life is naught if such soul-thirst be denied. We may have all the security this world can offer, but exempt of God’s Fatherly covering and loving care, we are the most pitiable, the most lost and insecure, but to joyously embrace (know) this experiential and heart-felt knowledge where we can say, “You alone are my God” is to encounter the euphoric-delight of eternal salvation – knowing God Himself (John 17:3). It is a non-exaggerated joy; it is the very realism the apostle Peter speaks of – “…joy that is inexpressible…” (1 Peter 1:8).

It is only in the wilderness, where other things that hinder are stripped away by Providence, do we perceive that which is essential and it is the mercy of God that keeps us from finding and establishing fulfilment in anything that would stunt our growth in eternity’s values, whereby we are being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ from one degree of glory to another (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 1:6).