“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God… My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psalm 42:1-2; 84:2)
Many of our hearts say a sincere “Amen’ to these sentiments. We appreciate being in a personal, living, growing and unique relationship with our Creator. We rejoice in the privilege of getting to know Him and of being known by Him. But how did that happen? How did we get here?
What stops me in my tracks and stuns me speechless is realizing that He initiated a relationship with me. He chose to reveal Himself to me. He is more committed to our relationship than I am. He has greater passion for “us” than my most intense thirsting and longing. Most of the time I am mindful of Him *some* of the time. At best I am mindful of Him a lot of the time. But He is always mindful of me all of the time. And always affectionately so! No weird thoughts about me. No strange moods that push me away. No wavering of His commitment to me. Just constant care.
All I can do is shake my head and raise my hands to Him in praise and thanksgiving for His amazing grace towards me. Because it is indeed His grace, not my goodness or power, but His inexplicable and unfathomable grace that draws my heart and flesh to sing for joy to the living God. His grace is the force behind my hunger and thirst for more of Him.
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