Bible Reading: Psalm 42, Revelation: 2: 20-29
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God” – Psalm 42:1(KJV)
A genuine longing for God is the fueling for divine empowerment. When we long for God He draws near to us to satisfy our craving soul and to show himself mighty on our behalf. A child that longs to always be with his father will enjoy intimacy with his father and will be a custodian of all his father’s secret. Intimacy with someone establishes deep affection and a strong bonding. This Psalm reveals the secret of King David. He was a man after God’s heart no wonder he never lost a battle. As he longed and thirsted after God, God also longed for him and made His presence always abiding with him. Hear him, “My soul thirsted for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?” – Psalm 42:2(KJV). Why wouldn’t the Psalmist triumph and be victorious in life when his hunger for God’s presence is deep? “Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgement” – Psalm 119:164(KJV). Jesus said in Matthew 5:6(KJV): “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
A heart that pants after God is bound to be satisfied by the Almighty, for such was the case with Enoch, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” – Genesis 5:24(KJV). A craving heart is a loving heart. Our level of longing for God is the barometer that measures our love Him. It is this longing for God that made King David to say that his soul thirsteth for the living God, and when shall he appear before Him. Serving God will not be with fainting and discouragement when we are irresistibly drawn to Him by a craving that only Him can satisfy. As your heart pants after God, drawing near to Him becomes easy for you and like David said in Psalm 73:23(KJV) “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.” A heart that pants after God is sure to receive answers to all calls (Jer.33:3). God is a father that desires our fellowship and is beckoning on us today to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” – Hebrews 10:22(KJV).
No matter how crowded an environment is, the voice of the one you love will ring loudest especially when there is need for intervention. Just as Enoch walked with God and he was not because God took him, He is calling each and every one of us to pant after Him to the satisfaction of the longings of our souls. Your panting after Him becomes effective and the relationship starts as you give your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour. If you are yet to invite Him into your life, you can do so now and He will surely come in and give rest to your soul. He will begin to walk with you and make every crooked paths straight. If you desire to invite Him now, say this prayer of faith “Lord Jesus, I recognize that I am a Sinner, forgive me ofmy sins, come into my life. Make me your child today and give me the grace to live for you all the days of my life. Thank you for accepting me into your kingdom”. Welcome to the Lord’s house where all things are ready for you to enjoy.
Prayer: Father, thank you for opening our eyes to the need for a close relationship with you. Grant us the grace to pant after you as we walk through life by your leading in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo