In my first year of marriage, my wife pointed out a habit of mine that I didn’t know I had. When I would walk in the door to my home, I would go straight to the remote control and turn on the TV. I wouldn’t watch it. I would just have it on as background noise. When she asked why I did it if I wasn’t going to watch it, I didn’t have an answer. It occurred to me that many of us treat the Lord this way in our life. He’s just background noise. We don’t really pursue him or pay attention to Him until we need something. He’s constantly talking to us, but we aren’t really listening because we aren’t pursuing Him.
As David wrote Psalm 61, he was fleeing King Saul. He was displaced from his home, his family and friends while having to live in the desert wilderness. The first verse says, “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water” (NLT). He didn’t have the posture of despair despite his situation. Instead he was seeking the Lord continually. He compared his need for the Lord to the need his body had for water while living in the desert. His posture wasn’t one of complaint regarding his situation. It was one of praise and understanding of how much he truly needed the Lord.
Psalm 105:4 says, “Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.” We must be purposeful in our pursuit of the Lord. We must seek Him for strength to help us each and every day. Instead of seeking affirmations from social media when you wake up, seek Him. Instead of complaining about the day, praise Him. Start your day with worship instead of worry. Ask God for direction and guidance. When He moves from background noise in your life to the One you pursue and seek, everything changes. When you pursue Him as your greatest need, you can be content in whatever situation you find yourself in.
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Devotions by Chris Hendrix 