As we pledge our heart to be devoted to the Lord, the question is raised regarding how to draw closer to Him. It begins with a hunger and desire to have a more intimate relationship with Him. We are all created with deep longings. We long to be loved, to be accepted, to be important, to impact others, to be safe, to experience joy and beauty, and to worship. The Lord puts these desires in our heart so we will seek Him to fulfill them. Sadly, often we run outside of God to fulfill these longings. That is when we get into trouble. For only the Lord can completely satisfy us. Other things and people can give us temporary fulfillment, but then we will quickly feel “thirsty” again.
When we cry out to God to fill a longing, He will sometimes use people or things to accomplish this. Other times, He will directly fill us through the work of His Spirit. For example, in your longing to feel safe, He may provide a safer home for you to live in. In your desire to feel comforted, He may provide a friend to cry with you. In your need to feel loved and cared for, He may meet you in a special way through direct loving words as you pray and seek Him in the Scriptures. But the point is to first go to God and allow Him to fulfill these longings in the way He knows is best for you. Don’t try to run outside of God to meet these needs on your own.
One aspect of drawing closer to God is to have a humble attitude of dependence and trust in Him. Look to Him to be the lover and satisfier of your soul. “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you . . . My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods” (Psalm 63:3, 5).
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