Inspired Desire

Your decrees inspire wonder; because of that, my soul desires to keep them.  When Your words are unveiled, light shines forth; they bring understanding to the simple.  My desire for Your commands left me waiting, open-mouthed and panting.  (Psalm 119:129-131 VOICE)

Left waiting, open-mouthed and panting.  That certainly conjures up an image in our minds, does it not?  Do God's decrees (his words) inspire wonder in our minds, hearts, and spirits? Or have they become routine (mundane) and a little "dry"?  It is quite common to find the things we are most familiar with becoming "mundane" or "ordinary" in our minds and hearts.  I think a good, totally sappy movie on a Saturday afternoon is a real treat because it helps me to unwind and just get some much needed distraction or rest from the normal routine of the week.  When this Saturday afternoon "flick" turns into a binge-watching fest on Netflix, I begin to find I no longer get the same enjoyment from it!  Why?  It has become mundane - it has become something which "dulls" my senses, but from which I am not really deriving any benefit.

When we approach God's Word with intent, it is rarely found to be mundane. When we haphazardly "flip through it", hoping to find something distract ourselves from whatever pressure we are under at the moment, we might just be surprised how "ordinary" these words can become.  What has the potential to ignite a great blast furnace of spiritual energy and enthusiasm is kind of "dulled" by our lack-luster approach to exploring it.  As our psalmist points out, when the heart is eager to connect, God's words become the very things which inspire and ignite us from within.  It is like anyone who works out regularly will tell you - just do it because you "have to" and it is a chore; do it because it releases something "in" you and it is a delight!

Wonder is that internal feeling you get whenever you discover something which surprises you, is beautiful beyond words, or simply brings a sense of awe or amazement.  I have to ask the obvious here - do God's words ever surprise you, bringing into your heart and mind a sense of awe or amazement?  I think we might just find when we connect with an intentional heart connection they do!  It is the heart which connects the ear to the one who is speaking! When our heart yearns, we are more likely to find a deeper sense of satisfaction in that which we receive in our exploration!

Look again at what our psalmist says...

He goes into God's Word seeking to uncover something - even the smallest iota of truth and light.  He has intent in what he is doing and that intent is not going to be disappointed - because God honors a heart that searches, longs, "pants" as it were after his truth!  It becomes a light in a dark place, creative energy when other solutions man could turn to have somehow proven to be unreliable, and direction to the one who is about to be set adrift on the waves of the unknown.  God's Word connects with the one who seeks with intent - it brings insight, builds passion, sets straight the crooked, and gives clarity to the one who needs answers.

We can approach God's Word in many ways, but none will be as rewarding as when we come with expectation - intent builds excitement and anticipation!  I don't find some mornings easy - the restless nights can sometimes exhaust me more than the productive days! Yet, when I look into God's Word, seeking with intentional purpose of making a connection with the one who energizes my soul, I am never disappointed.  May your times of exploration in his Word never leave you less than amazed!  Just sayin!