Desperation
O God, You are my God; I earnestly search for You. My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen You in Your sanctuary and gazed upon Your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise You! I will praise You as long as I live, lifting up my hands to You in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise You with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of You, meditating on You through the night. Because You are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings. I cling to You; Your strong right hand holds me securely.
Psalm 63:1-8 (NLT)
Have you ever longed for something with every fiber of your being? You didn’t just want it. You felt that you needed it to survive. As we approach Christmas, there may be some children (and adults, if we’re honest) who think this way about a new toy or electronic. They’re captivated by their desire to possess that one particular thing.
Do you have an intense desire to know Jesus more and more? Can you say, like the psalmist (David), that your very soul longs for Him? Sadly, much of the time, Jesus is an optional thought instead of our main focus. Our love for Him should be our driving force every day. Unfortunately, we too often give Him our leftovers and scraps.
Author and pastor Francis Chan wrote about this mentality in his 2008 book Crazy Love:
Leftovers are not merely inadequate; from God’s point of view (and lest we forget, His is the only one who matters), they’re evil. Let’s stop calling it a ‘busy schedule’ or ‘bills’ or ‘forgetfulness.’ It’s called evil.
In this psalm, David says the love of God is better than life itself. Do we believe that? During the hustle and bustle of your holiday schedule, are you keeping Jesus at the center? Delighting in Him above all else?
Application: What are you prioritizing above your relationship with God? Confess this to God. Repent. Ask Him to reignite your love for Him above all else. Take time to read the passage slowly and aloud again. Make it your prayer this week.
Prayer:
Holy God,
Your love is more valuable than life itself. May Your Spirit burn within me to know and love You more each day. Forgive me for my idolatry, and help me to prioritize You above all else.
In the name of Jesus, I pray,
Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?