January 9

Pslam 41-45, 1 Samuel 15-16

Have you ever heard the words of a beautiful poem and found yourself wrapped up in what it was saying?

Listen to the beauty and depth of these words written by David Crowder in his song “From Here is our King” He says, “From wherever searching comes the look itself, A trace of what we’re looking for, so be quiet now and wait. . And what was said to the rose to make it unfold, was said to me, here in my chest, so be quiet now and rest. So be quiet now and rest.”

These words are deeply beautiful and profound. They come from a deep understanding of what God desires, and his ability to bring life in the coldest, darkest of places. And in the middle of this understanding, Crowder is still able to assign the beautiful restoration power to the almighty God. Listen to the words the Sons of Torah attribute to their king in Psalm 45:1 “My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the King; My tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”

What their king means to them is so etched on their heart, that it is literally coming forth from their mouth in a way that is natural. They don’t need to write things down or try to form proper words for this moment. They have a natural bent of expression that flows from a place so deeply believable in their hearts, that they don’t need rehearsal. It’s just part of who they are.

Can you imagine having such a deep, passionate love for Jesus, that you don’t have to sop and think about it. You don’t need well-written words or thought-out expressions. You just naturally lean towards expressions of adoration and love when you speak of him. This comes from knowing him in an intimate way. This clarifies the first part of Psalm 42 - “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

When there is such a deep love and passion for the true living God, it brings about a response of beauty and hope. King Saul had lost this passion for the Lord. For him, there was no joyful praise that flowed smoothly from his lips. Instead, he saw the commands of the Lord, heard the direction of his voice, and it left him thinking that he knew best. He ignored the commands of the Lord and did things his own way.

What praise is on your lips today? Are you quick to bring a word of affirming beauty to the Lord, or do you question, wonder, and suspect his plans? Are you more convinced of the direction you would take, than the direction the Lord would lead? I’m not saying that you have to have some eloquently formulated word of praise on your lips. But if you don’t even have a song in your heart that would lead you towards praising the Lord, maybe stop and ask him for that type of adoration. This comes from a deep longing for the Lord.

So, Like a deer panting for water, may you long for the Lord. May you deeply desire the presence of our living God. May you allow yourself to be so caught up in the Lord, that it brings a natural word of praise to your lips. And, may you so intimately know him, that you sing the praises of our living God today! . .