LONGING FOR GOD

TEXT:  "... my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." - Psalm 63:1

Sadly, there is little spiritual passion among professing Christians these days.   The things of this world often distract believers.  We tend to be enamored by worldly issues instead of having a longing for the One who made the world.  Like Esau, we have carelessly traded spiritual blessings for the taste of temporary worldly stew.

In Psalm 63, David declares his passion for God.  He describes his passion in graphic terms:  thirsting and longing.  Does this describe your pursuit of God?  Can you honestly say that you have a longing for Him?  Does your soul thirst for Him?  In Psalm 42:1, the psalmist writes, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."

Why do we lack such intense desire for God?  For one thing, we no longer see God as being precious.  We no longer have the awe and wonder of God that once captivated us.  We are not amazed at God's grace and love like we used to be.  Sadly, we no longer find Him to be worth longing for.  It is tragic!

The problem is not with God, but with our perception of God.  Although most believers would not admit it, we have more desire for family, possessions and success than we do for the Lord.  We fail to heed John's warning:  "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

Even in our churches, our worship of God has been diluted with sentimentalism, tradition and selfishness.  Slowly, our focus of God has been clouded by sin. 

We need to have a fresh revival of spiritual passion.  Like the church at Ephesus, we have left our "first love."  What was our Lord's challenge to them?  Remember, repent and return.  "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works." 

I can't help but feel that God is calling believers in America to do the same today.