O, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1 NIV

Earnestly is an all-in word.  A nothing-held-back, here’s-all-of-me word.  Does earnestly describe my devotion to you, Lord?

Perhaps.

Some days.

I know I want it to.

I feel like the man who said to Jesus in Mark 9:24 NIV, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.” Or like Paul, who said, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”  (Romans 7:15 NIV)

As I  ponder on earnestly and what it means in the context of my walk with Jesus, I’m reminded that, like my salvation, my seeking Him is not a change in outward behavior, but an inward transformation that will eventually lead to a changed outward behavior. As my heart seeks Him, my behavior – and my attitude, my thoughts, my words, my actions – will follow suit.

As my heart seeks Him, my behavior – and my attitude, my thoughts, my words, my actions – will follow suit. Click To Tweet

Earnestly is an intentional choosing to give Him my whole heart.  Regardless of what chaos surrounds me, never mind how long my to-do list, disregarding the piles of papers demanding attention — I choose Him.

It’s deciding.

It’s giving my relationship with Him more than a “lick and a promise,” as my Mama used to say when referring to housework she had no time to tackle that day. It’s the West Virginian vernacular for well intentioned procrastination. Put it off; it can keep ‘til tomorrow.

But earnestly means He is the priority.  He comes first. I seek Him above all else and above everyone else.

Life may indeed be dry and very weary.  My circumstances only serve to make me thirstier for the Living Water. My weariness of life’s challenges drives me to the One who says, “Come to me…I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NIV).

“Earnestly” is translated “early” in the King James Version. Seeing Him earnestly means seeking Him first. It means giving Him my first-fruits rather than my leftovers.

Seeking Him first is a faith choice. Devoting the first (and best) part of my day to Him means trusting there will be enough time for all the other pressing needs of my day.

It also means the “everything else” is shaded by my earnestly-seeking-Him-early-time. The rest of my day has a biblical perspective. I can reject spiritual myopia and see my life through an eternal lens. I can press in with joy and purpose because all I do is done through Him and for Him.

Are you feeling dry and weary? Are you living in a spiritual drought?

Are you seeking Him earnestly?