Monday, March 11, 2019

Thinking About What It Takes to Be Desperate For God

We don't need much to serve God - we need willing hearts and open minds, but as with most things we complicate it. Recently, it feels as if I'm spinning plates and failing miserably. As long as I have breath, I plan to live my life to the fullest with God's help. So there's new goals, new adventures, new tasks even at this stage of the game.

Sometimes I'm tired because if I'm honest, I thought by this point, certain things wouldn't matter. I thought contentment was acquiring the things I'd always wanted and planned for: good
job, dream house but also more patience, more kindness, more love.  Having lived this long, just when I think I've figured something out, something else comes along that challenges me.

One thing I've learned, I'll never perfect my walk with Christ this side of heaven. It's one of the only things I know for sure. I realize that I need to keep leaning on Him. That abiding in Him produces fruit in a way that I can't explain (John 15:1-15). That is my secret. I've tried to complicate it, and this only happens when my relationship with Him is burdensome or said another way when I'm not abiding in Him. This usually looks like me spending too much time on social media, worrying about followers and likes, seeing what's trending and then digging into those stories, forming unhealthy opinions. If it's not social media, sometimes TV gets its grip on me. If it's not the TV, I may not be connected to the right people, and they unwittingly begin to influence me. Or it may be tasks that need accomplishing or incessant worry over a certain outcome.

I want to be so desperate for God, that the only thing that quenches my thirst is Him - His word, His peace, His grace, His love, His mercy (Psalms 42:1-2). This thirst quencher is always available to me as his child, so all I need to do is take the time and spend it with him. I need to do this as often as I breathe so that I am continually refreshed. For me, it's the early morning, before I'm consumed with the day's tasks. For others, it may be the drive to work, a walk/run, or in the evening. This time infuses me; it never confuses me. This time strengthens and centers me.

When I take the time to get centered with God, what a change in scenery and a change in perspective. I feel good, light, loved, energized, smart. My relationship with Him no longer feels burdensome but inviting. I don't need to schedule time on my calendar, I do it as often as I can because my time with Him is refreshing. I find myself allowing space for the relationship to grow. It's when I neglect our relationship that I find myself pulling away.

I want my relationship with God to be so strong, so prevalent in my life that I don't need a reminder to spend time with Him. I have realized that it doesn't take much to meditate and be still; It's merely God and me (Psalms 46:10). No phone, no apps, no Bible on the phone - just Him and I, and the physical Bible.

This is my desire: to remove the complications of modern life and pant so desperately after God that He quenches my thirst while giving me what I need. And in turn, because I'm so grateful that I may live to please him - my words, thoughts, actions, and my very being. 


As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. Psalms 42:1 [NLT]

How desperate are you for God?

--Nylse

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22 comments:

  1. Oh yes, this is the cry of my heart too: "I want to be so desperate for God, that the only thing that quenches my thirst is Him." Thank you for these inspiring words today!

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  2. I love your realism and practicality in your approach to intimacy with God. You make it sound manageable...doable. Which it is! We need more of that sort of talk. I so want to be desperate for Him to...I find I am...just sometimes I forget I "really" am. Not sure if that makes sense. Your blog post reminds me.

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  3. I LOVE this perspective and the phrase "desperate for God." You're right--a strong relationship with God looks like not needing reminders to spend time with Him. We all progress on that journey at different speeds and in different ways. I think it's meant to be a long journey so that we learn along the way, and if we get distracted we still have a chance to do better. Thanks for sharing at #heartandsoullinkup

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  4. This is what I needed to read this morning. Thank you! Our spiritual walk with the Lord is a discipline. Some days, it is easy to spend time in the Word. Other times, my constant distractions take me away from the priority of my life. Thank you so much for sharing!

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  5. Thanks for sharing your spirituality--I can relate. I too have been on the same journey as you. It's amazing where it can take you if you open up time in your day regularly for some quiet time with Him.

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  6. Hey Nylse, I'm a "just Him and I and the physical Bible" kind of gal, too. May this post be the desire of all of our hearts. Thanks for sharing at Entrusted Women's Facebook group.

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  7. Always knew I needed Him, never could imagine how much He loved me.

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  8. I love my time with the Lord too - but I also want more - like you. Desperate.

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  9. I love those David's Psalms describing his need for God as something so vital and raw. I've been praying Psalm 27:4 for the last 10 days or so..."One thing..." Like you, I want to be desperate for God. Coming over from Debbie Kitterman's Link-up. :)

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  10. I love your heart, woman! I'm so dependent on God, too. But, hey, it's the best thing ever. Thanks for sharing. Blessings upon blessings!

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  11. Thanks Nylse for your thoughts, it is truly only with Him that we are completely refreshed-so let's keep going back to His well of life!

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  12. This is so good! When we see people crying out to God in the Bible (I'm thinking right now of the blind man, for instance) they knew they were desperate, and they didn't care who knew it!

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  13. This life is a journey and I believe that God knows and understands that.

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  14. Yes! I so relate to this post on spinning plates and failing trying to do it all myself. I love your heart in this post to keep leaning into God, abiding in Him, and being so desperate for Him above everything else. For nothing and no one can promise 100% satisfaction guaranteed but God!

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  15. Psalm 42.1 is always very convicting for me. I want to pant for God that way and fall so far short. May He draw each of us to Himself and give us the grace to love Him sacrificially.

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  16. Oh, yes! There have been times in my life when I feel desperate for God, but not all the time. The line about spinning plates resonated with me. Sometimes I feel as though I have so many plates spinning I will never get to them all. Thanks for the gentle reminder to slow down and concentrate on what is important!

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  17. Thank you for reminding us that God is the only One who can quench our thirst and that it is in His presence that we find true refreshment for our souls!

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  18. I'm really, really good at complicating things! Especially when it comes to faith :) But God is so gracious with me in the process!

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  19. I love this statement: "I want my relationship with God to be so strong, so prevalent in my life that I don't need a reminder to spend time with Him." Yes, me too! Desperate for Jesus... Thanks for sharing this. visiting from Faith 'n Friends.

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  20. It's far too easy to look for satisfaction in other things when what we really need (and want deep down) is more of God. Thanks for this great post!

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  21. This came at the right time and it exactly what I needed to read. I soo desperately need God in my life and to spend more time with Him. Thank you soo very much for the encouragement. God bless!

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  22. "Desperate for God", that is the cry of my heart. Beautiful, simple, and encouraging. I co-host the FAITH AND WORSHIP CHRISTIAN WEEKEND link party and would love to invite you to join us. You can find a link over at my blog, Grace for a Gyspy

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