Psalm 63 O God, thou art my God early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth 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:
6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
God, You are my God. No matter how you grew up or how you were raised, at some point or another, you heard about God. You first learned of your heavenly Father from your parents or going to church and hearing about Him from the pastor, or maybe you turned on the television and heard the Gospel preached.
I learned about God from my parents at a very young age. Since I was born, I’ve been raised in a Christian home. I made Jesus the Lord of my life when I was only 4 years old. It just seemed like the natural thing to do. Yet, no matter what age we began, we all started out the same. We saw or heard someone who had a relationship with God. We first learn about Him from someone else’s personal experience and then the spark happens…the spark of desire. Soon, it’s not good enough to hear about other’s experience. We desire to experience it for ourselves.
I heard a sermon called “Get Your Own God.” It sounds a bit abrupt but it’s so true. There comes a time when we don’t live through other’s relationships with God anymore and we come face to face with out heavenly Father.
I remember the day the relationship with my Father became my own. It was when I was 13 years old and dealing with fear and worry. I realized very quickly that I needed my own God. Reading the Bible wasn’t just what we were supposed to do but I actually really really needed it! I HAD to have it like I need air to breathe. The Word of God became my very life and God became my God. It wasn’t long before He reached down and rescued me from that heavy burden of worry.
It’s very possible to be a Christian and still be living out the outside looking in and still have never entered that close, one on one, relationship with Him. That time in my life was the moment I moved from being a fan of Jesus, to becoming a follower.
It’s like verse 8 says in the Psalm we read. My soul followeth hard after thee.
Many many people followed Jesus around when He walked the earth. But notice His core group consisted of 12 men. What was the difference between these men and everyone else?
Those crowds followed Him for a various number of reasons. Healing, the food He multiplied, because it was the popular thing to do. I’m not saying some of these aren’t great reasons to follow Him but when the rubber met the road, and Jesus preached something they didn’t quite understand, or when the religious leaders began to threaten Him, they scattered. Even most of His core group left Him when He went to the cross. But look how bold they became in the book of Acts?
Through thick and thin, through trials, through dangers, through sermons they didn’t understand, they stuck with Him.
John 6:63-69 It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Here, Peter even admitted he thought of leaving along with some others. But what stopped him? He knew Jesus held the words of eternal life. It’s the same with us. You can’t find these life bursting, health holding, bondage breaking, and anointed words of life anywhere else. They are only found in one place. It’s Him! Our healing, our breakthrough, our freedom ONLY comes from Him.
So I encourage you. If you’re still living on the fence or looking for life, healing, peace, a place to feel safe and a sense of belonging, look no further. It’s God. It’s only God. Read His letter, written to you. The Bible. It holds the answers to everything you could ever want or need. Get your own God. There’s nothing like having a personal relationship with Him.
In no time at all, you can close your eyes or look up and say as David did, hundreds of years ago. “God, You are my God!” You’ll be able to say those words from your heart and not feel like an outsider, but surrounded by Him, your Father.
Remember! There is ALWAYS HOPE. Love, Kelly
