Aug 26 Devotion: A Hunger for God

1).  O GOD, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;  2).  To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.  3).  Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.  4).  Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.  5).  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

                                      PSALM 63:1-5  

The Lord created a spiritual hunger within our heart. David felt this yearning, and throughout the Psalms, we find him meditating on God and praising or crying out to Him. David’s greatest joy was to be with his heavenly Father in intimate communion.

Hungering for the Lord is a desire to know and draw closer to Him. Sadly, this yearning isn’t always central in believers’ lives. Modern society is filled with all sorts of things that vie for our interest and affections. These pleasures and pursuits compete with God for our attention, claiming our time and effort.

The good news is that a longing for God can be awakened if we are willing to change our priorities and pursuits. Although cultivating a desire for the Lord takes time, the joy we’ll experience is lasting—and the rewards are eternal (See PSALM 16:9-11). We’ll always get more out of a relationship with God than we put in. And as our hunger for Him grows, He will open our heart and mind to understand and desire Him even more.

When we yearn for the Lord, He will satisfy us with contentment and a sense of completeness, while awakening an even deeper longing in our soul. Unlike physical hunger, a craving for Him is filled but paradoxically also leaves us hungry. The more we are satisfied in Christ, the more we want of Him.

-IBC