A Passionate Relationship

Yesterday morning during my quiet time I read Psalm 63. I was challenged by the psalmist's passion for the Lord. In verse 1 he says, "O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh years for Thee, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." David's intensity for the Lord is evident; he desires God above all else. I prayed that God would continue to grow in me that same intensity for Him. I also looked in the psalm for some specifics that might help me develop this same passionate relationship.

Vs. 2 begins with the word thus. Because of his fervent passion for the Lord, because of his desire to seek the Lord earnestly, David says, "I have beheld Thee in the sanctuary, to see Thy power and Thy glory." If I am to be passionate about the Lord, I need to be passionate about His church. When I worship in a church where God's Word is clearly preached, I can behold Him. Whether through sermons, music, small group Bible study, corportate prayer, or personal relationships, God uses the church to give me a better understanding of Himself, that I might better see His power and His glory. We have been hosting a weekly college/career Bible study in our home for the last 4 years. Last night was the last one, since we are moving. As I reflect on the different topics and books we've studied, and the way we've seen God answer prayer over and over again, I am reminded of how awesome and faithful God is.

Vs. 3 reflects the psalmist's values. He mentions that God's lovingkindness is better than life. His focus is clearly on the spiritual, the eternal, rather than the material, the physical, the temporal. When my focus is on my circumstances, my desires, my needs, the things of this life, my zeal for the Lord is easily diminished. When my focus is on Him, when I am valuing Him, when His lovingkindness is better to me than life, than I will be praising Him, rejoicing in Him, passionate about Him.

I have noticed in my own life, and that of others I know, that satisfaction, or contentment is a very elusive commodity. I can seek for it in many areas--money and possessions, relationships, good works, but I never quite get there. In this case the Rolling Stones were right when they sang, I can't get no satisfaction, cuz I've tried and I've tried and I've tried and I've tried. However, when I seek my satisfaction in the Lord alone, I can echo the psalmist in vs. 5, "My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips." I can find contentment only in Him.

I found another key to the psalmist's passionate relationship in vs. 6, "When I remember Thee on my bed, I meditate on Thee in the night watches." If you've noticed the timing of this post, that is exactly what I'm doing now! The middle of the night, if you can't sleep, is a great time to meditate on the Lord. I could be thinking through all of the things I need to do tomorrow, or I could toss and turn and wish I was sleeping, but to take advantage of this time to reflect on the Lord is precious. Several years ago I had been praying for God to deepen my relationship with Him, and He answered that prayer in part through some health problems that kept me awake at night. I spent that time in His Word and reflecting upon Him, and my relationship with the Lord did become more passionate. Now you may have guessed that this was not at all what I had in mind when I prayed that prayer, but God was faithful to answer as He saw best. But I had to be faithful to remember Him and meditate on Him in the night watches.

If I am to have a passionate relationship with the Lord, I need to turn to Him first and often. We see the psalmist doing this in vs. 7-8, "For Thou has been my help, and in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to Thee; Thy right hand upholds me." We see a pattern of David clinging to the Lord, of taking refuge in Him, and finding Him to be a help, to uphold him. It is easy to turn elsewhere, to seek refuge in entertainment and relaxation, human wisdom, other people, personal fulfillment, but these rarely cause us to sing for joy. We must continually seek refuge in the Lord, to cling firmly and solely to Him. When we do, He will be faithful to help us, to uphold us, as He did the psalmist.

As I return to my bed, I will continue to reflect upon the Lord, to take refuge in Him, to cling to Him, and He will never disappoint. Sleep may be elusive, but God is ever present.