The freedom to pursue God

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? (Psalm 42:1–2 NLT)

I love this prayer because it expresses a need for God on a primal level, like a deer searching for water. Thirst is an involuntary reaction, and a need that requires fulfillment.

It has taken me a long time to understand that the need for a relationship with God is embedded in my soul. It is not something I need to create, but something I need to recognize. For years I stressed over my relationship with God, trying to define what “close” looked like.

The deeper we know God, the more we will recognize His way, His truth, and His wonder. And the more we will find Him showing up in a beautiful sunrise, in shared laughter and conversation, in a delicious bite of food, in an embrace, in beautiful music, in a great cup of coffee, in an intense-but-respectful debate, a challenging workout, a humble apology, a problem solved, in good news and even in less-than-good news, in life’s beginnings and endings.

My heart, and yours, has the freedom to pursue God. His Word tells us that “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” His Word is true and living, reliable and unfailing. He simply wants us to seek Him, so that He can direct our paths to the fullest life possible.[1]

I think there comes a time when you realize that you need God in your life, God's Word, and the spiritual guidance that only He can give. - Sylvester Stallone

[1] Activated My Soul Thirsts