Bible Reading: Psalm 63; Revelation 19
“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” – Psalm 63:1 (KJV).
The psalmist promised to seek God early by his soul thirsting for, and the flesh longing for God. Delay and procrastination could be disastrous. How often Christians delay repentance. How often sinners delay commitment to the conviction of the word by the Holy Spirit? How often believers delay obedience to the will of God or to the instructions of His word? The Bible instructs that we do not let the sun go down on our anger because delay could be dangerous. Delay can give satan access into one’s life. Delay can cost one of one’s relationships.
The Psalmist admonished that we seek God early. Seeking God early could imply giving God the first hour of the day in devotion; it could mean putting God first in one’s life. It could mean prompt obedience to divine instruction; it could mean quick response to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It could mean early repentance of sins committed. Seeking God early could mean embracing the gospel as soon as one hears and understands the gospel. Failure to do this could give satan the opportunity to steal the word earlier received with joy thus denying one the required response. “Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say; I have no pleasure in them” – Ecclesiastes 12:1 (KJV).
Delayed response could lend to hardness of one’s heart or to deception. It could lead to loss of the passion needed to drive the response. Seeking God early was the regular practice of Jesus in his earthly ministry. “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” –Mark 1:35 (KJV). Such early response will require that one be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to know what one ought to do. It will also require discipline to step out in obedience.
PRAYER: Lord, grant me the sensitivity, willingness and discipline to always respond promptly to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Rev. Vincent Diolu