My nephew loves visiting the park just beyond our house. He often asks about the swings and slides, but mostly he just wants to come to his “Aunt Kai’s”. If he gets to my house, the parks close enough for a short walk. Unfortunately, this poor kid doesn’t understand that it’s winter. The weather’s not all that welcoming for an outside adventure; yet every week, he begs for our former summer excursion. No explanation satisfies the longing.

He’s only a toddler, but his desire for the park reminds me of God’s longing after us. God wants us to reciprocate His love, and in the Bible, David illustrates this passionate encounter with our Creator in Psalm 63:1.

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

David earnestly sought after God. He was desperate. How often can we claim to pursue God with that level of love?

I recently sat with a group of middle school girls and used an illustration to address this concept. We talked about God as our best friend. As Christians, He really should be the one we’re leaning on. And yet, do we spend time in prayer? Do we crave to read the Bible? If we spend no time with our best friend, we really aren’t friends at all, are we?

Intimacy is important to God. He desires relationship with us. Unfortunately, we don’t always reciprocate His love, and we rarely reciprocate it with a David level intensity.

In Psalm 27:4, David says:

One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.

Today, start seeking God. He longs to satisfy your heart. Let Him fill the pieces of your life that spiral out of control. If you know anything about David’s story, he didn’t have it altogether. David’s life was filled with pitfalls and turbulence, and in his desperation, he often sought God. For that reason, the Bible later describes Him as “a man after God’s own heart”. What if someday God gave you such a title? I don’t think I’m there, but I hope to aspire for such intimacy with my Savior. So let’s seek Him earnestly this year…