BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
(Psalm 51:10)
MEDITATION:
When we make a purchase, we want it to have the best quality
we can buy, don’t we? We don’t want a piece of furniture with
hidden flaws that cause it to wear out too soon. If we buy a car,
we don’t want an engine that is poorly made and breaks down
when we least expect it.
We want clothes that are dependable and durable. Guys especially
need clothes that are long-lasting since the styles for men change at
a much slower rate than they do for women. Men usually wear the
same clothes more often, and over a longer period of time. Even
when the styles change for men, many men don’t change to keep
up with the latest trends.
As we mature, we realize how deceiving things can be on the outside.
We learn that it is the hidden quality which is most important. That
is the reason we consider the manufacturers of the things we buy. If
they have a good reputation for quality, then we are more likely to
buy their brand.
Isn’t that the way we should be with the faith of believers? Shouldn’t
we want a quality faith, over a superficial one? If we have a faith that
only looks good on the outside, what benefit will we be to those who
may be searching for God? When they ask us questions about God
and His Word, will we be able to give them intellectual answers only,
or will we be able to tell them about our personal relationship with
our living and loving God?
When we look at our own lives, are we floundering around for
direction, or do we have a fellowship with the Lord that gives
us a purpose for living, and a path to follow?
We were created in a likeness of the image of God. We were made
to fellowship with Him and our hearts will not be satisfied without
His communion with us. When our soul is in a state of hunger, it has
a desire to be close to God. We have a yearning deep down inside us
that cannot be satisfied with what the world has to offer.
After sampling the pleasures of sin, and discovering
they were unsatisfying, look at what Psalmist, David said:
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
(Psalm 42:2)
My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
(Psalm 84:2)
When Job felt that God had deserted him in his time of
need, he remembered the peace and joy of His presence.
“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when
God watched over me, when his lamp shone on my head
and by his light I walked through darkness! Oh, for the
days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate
friendship blessed my house, when the Almighty was
still with me and my children were around me, when
my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured
out for me streams of olive oil.”
(Job 29:2-6)
This yearning of our soul has caused many people to try all the
wrong things in their efforts to satisfy their thirst. Imagine the
disappointment we can feel when we try everything the world
has to offer, and yet the emptiness is still there, and our search
for fulfillment continues.
This inner thirst has led many down a slippery slope of sin
that has taken them farther and farther away from God. As
a result, cults have arisen in an attempt to quench the thirst
of our souls. In a desperate search for satisfaction, mankind
has found many ways of distorting everything good that God
has given us to enjoy within His guidelines.
When we find that any particular sin provides only temporary
satisfaction, we can become easily attracted to new sins as our
as our search for fulfilling this void in our life continues. We
can see this futility played out in the lives of people who think
they will discover fulfillment through the consumption of alcohol.
They initially began by ‘sampling’ alcoholic beverages. Then
they progressed to becoming a ‘social drinker’. But in a short
time, they can become alcoholics (often in denial), who think
that drugs could be the answer to their search for fulfillment.
That’s how Satan works, isn’t it? If he can deceive us into ‘trying’
forbidden things, then he gains a ‘foothold’ over us, that leads to
a ‘stronghold’ which can take us down the road of destruction. In
our search to ‘satisfy our soul’, we have exceeded the boundaries
established by God for mankind, and now we are struggling with
alcohol addiction (at a minimum), and drug addiction (at worse).
Satan can have a devastating influence on us in many other
areas as well, including sensual lust, greed, envy, jealousy,
lack of self-control, anger, dishonesty, etc. In his cleverness,
Satan can use our desire to fulfill a thirst for fulfillment, as
his ‘launching pad’ for enticing us to try all kinds of things
that we know displease God, and not good for us.
When he succeeds in his efforts, we discover that he has taken
us further than we wanted to go, kept us longer than we wanted
to stay, and caused us to have new problems which we never
expected (or wanted). In essence, he has slipped his chains of
control around us, and has caused us to be led by him, instead
of seeking God’s will.
How did we get there? We wanted to fill the longing of our soul.
But rather than going to the One who loves us and wants what’s
best for us, we looked for satisfaction in all the wrong places. God
gives us the lasting satisfaction we are searching for (and need),
but sin will always leave us thirsting for something more.
ACTION:
Are you feeling any restlessness in your life? Do you have a
longing for something, but you haven’t determined what it
is? Have you exhausted your attempts at fulfilling a need
you have? It might be that your soul is yearning for a close
relationship with the Lord. The good news is, God wants to
fellowship with you!
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I long for Your presence in my life.
Help me to eliminate all the things that keep me from
growing closer to You. Create in me a clean heart and
teach me how to let the Holy Spirit take control of all
facets of my life. I have found that whenever I am in
control of my life, my desire for Your presence is less.
Forgive me for trying to fulfill my desires with anything
that displeases You. I want to walk closer with You each
day of my life. Thank You for hearing my prayer and
filling me with hope.”
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