Early will I seek You

 (Somehow my post was sent yesterday and not saved for me to complete.  So here is my official blog)

Psalm 63:1  "O God, you are my God, early will  I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you, in a dry and thirsty land."   KJV


When I was young one of the only times that I wanted to get up really early was on Christmas morning.   Sometimes I would try to convince my parents to get up as early as 5:30 am.   Usually we were up and opening presents before 7:00 am.  I couldn't wait to get up to unwrap the presents under the tree and to see what Santa Clause had left behind.  I guess I remember a couple other times when I wanted to get up early especially when I was going to go out early to go fishing with my Grandpa Fisher. There was a sense of excitement!  But especially when it came to Christmas there seemed to be a let down come the middle of the afternoon.  No not because I didn't get nice things that I enjoyed under the Christmas tree but because it was all over.

David in our Psalm shares this kind of excitement to be up early with his God.   Charles Spurgeon wrote of this passage saying, "Communion with God is so sweet that the chill of the morning is forgotten, and the luxury of the couch is despised."  Truly you can sense the note of excitement in his words.  But David's longing went much deeper.  There is a sense of desperation for the Lord like the longing we have for water and air itself.  The Apostle Paul would later say words like, "for me to live is Christ.."

David was in the literal wilderness of Judah which was more like a desert then what we would consider a wilderness.   He knew what it was like to run for his life from his enemies and seek the shelter in the Lord.   He knew what it was like to walk with the Lord.  In the KJV it says in verse 6 "My soul follows close behind you; Your right hand upholds me."

So here is the major difference between my times of looking forward to the morning and David's.  While the joy of the morning faded for me David's joy never faded.  He longed to be with the Lord morning noon and night and he found joy in the Lord at all times.  David in verse 3 and 4 proclaims, "Because Your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.  Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in your name."

To ponder:   May we all find such joy and anticipation to be in the Lord's presence today.   We have such a wonderful God.  If you're empty inside fill that place with God.  The Lord will not disappoint.