Lately I've been spending some time in the book of Psalms. It's full of course of the cries and prayers of some very special men who truly loved God. The older I get and the more I search the scriptures I see just how important our real motives in life truly are. The truth is what matters to others does matter to me but what matters to God matters most to me. And I trust that's also the case for you as well. So in my quest I recently came across Psalm 119 which is the longest Psalm recorded as you may know so I decided to spend some time there meditating a while. I found that six times the psalmist expresses his desire to know God with his "whole" heart. Although we can't know for certain who authored this particular Psalm I believe and scholars tend to agree it's none other than David himself. When God called David to be the next king of Israel inheriting the throne he was merely a shepherd boy keeping sheep. Merely a shepherd boy? Actually he'd already wrestled with a lion and a bear defending his father's flock living to tell about it! Personal victory's he'd won alone with God behind the scenes sight unseen. But all of David's brothers each hoped that they indeed would be the one the prophet Samuel would anoint to be the next king. But it wasn't meant to be for out in the field there was still Jesse's youngest son faithfully tending his father's sheep. The one with a heart of gold who's story today is still being told.
Jesse must have been confused when one by one Samuel denied each and every son. You can imagine his surprise when the prophet finally summoned for David who was the only one originally uninvited to the ceremony. To them all it was a very strange thing that God would call this young man to be king. But look what God had to say about David long ago on that unforgettable day, "FOR THE LORD SEES NOT AS MAN SEES FOR MAN LOOKS ON THE OUTER APPEARANCE BUT THE LORD LOOKS UPON THE HEART (1 Samuel 16:7)." God always sees through our disguise and as we look around today we see a generation obsessed with how we look and how we dress. And here in America especially from entertainers to athletes our idols are everywhere. We're consumed with an insatiable appetite for attention and it's killing us from the inside out. Hollywood has had its way with us unfortunately and I wonder today in God do we really still trust? Although it's true we can often fool others in our efforts to hide still God always knows what's deep down inside. He's never fooled or surprised by anything we hide or try and disguise. He always sees right through and nothing is ever hidden from his point of view, "NEITHER IS THERE ANY CREATURE THAT IS NOT MANIFEST IN HIS SIGHT BUT ALL THINGS ARE NAKED AND OPENED UNTO THE EYES OF HIM WITH WHOM WE HAVE TO DO (Hebrews 4:13)."
In the garden Adam originally sinned by eating the forbidden fruit then tried to hide. God called out to him and said 'Adam where are you'? No God didn't somehow misplace him but knew of course exactly where he was. Adam was ashamed and was trying desperately to hide away and I wonder today have you ever felt that way? I often have and our tendency is to also run instead of turning quickly back to him. That's really what repentance is all about it means to turn around and head the other way. Our problem of course is our sin and it separates us from him just as with Adam and Eve and their original sin. Like it or not we're their descendants and we've all inherited their nature. But incredibly while on the cross Jesus said 'It is finished' and he rent the veil in two. What was finished? The debt for our sin was now paid in full! He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. So now as believers you and I have an open invitation to freely come to him by the blood of the Lamb any time any day. Look what the Hebrew writer also had to say, "FOR WE HAVE NOT A HIGH PRIEST WHICH CANNOT BE TOUCHED WITH THE FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITIES BUT WAS IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED LIKE AS WE ARE YET WITHOUT SIN. LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF GRACE THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED (Hebrews 4:15-16)." Jesus is our faithful and merciful High Priest and now because of him we are always invited in!
David came to know God intimately very early in life gazing at stars while keeping sheep. It was there alone with God that he learned of his infinite power and love. David was in awe of God and his creation seeing his handiwork magnificently on display night after night throughout the heavens. Many of us today know about God to some degree but do we really know him? Do we seek and search for him with all of our hearts and do we know his voice? What's amazing to me is that even though he knows every detail of our lives even so he loves us still. He's not moved like we are at times by circumstances living by feelings that often change. And although we often waver God never does and his children can always count on his loving arms to carry them through. We can never earn his love and we never deserve it even on our best day. Simply put our righteousness to God is as filthy rags and Christ in us alone is our hope of glory! The truth is we're nothing without him but lost and alone in all of our sin. Long ago God called David and David responded with all of his heart. Today again he's calling us near but are we listening and can we still hear?
