Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Enthusiasm”
Our Bible verse for today: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1-2 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “A deep relationship with God creates enthusiasm for Him and for our role in His kingdom-building work.
I love the picture painted by the Psalmist in Psalm 42:1-2. In our mind’s eye we can see an image of a thirsty deer in the forest drinking deeply from a cool mountain stream. The cold water is refreshing and invigorating; the deer is renewed and satisfied.
The Psalmist clearly intended his example to serve as a metaphor for the soul of a God-follower, one who so longs for God that he or she is panting with spiritual thirst and will only be refreshed and renewed by drinking long and deep from the Living Water.
All this month we’ve been considering the subject of “enthusiasm” from a devotional point of view. Our ultimate goal is to become more enthusiastic regarding our relationship with God and our service to others in His name. When we have the kind of desire for God described in these verses, our level of enthusiasm for Him and His kingdom will be very high.
In his book, “Intimacy with the Almighty”, Pastor Chuck Swindoll includes a section he titled “Paul’s Passionate Pursuit”. Pastor Chuck quotes Paul’s own description of the attitude of his heart as described in Philippians 3:10. In the Amplified Version of the Bible it reads:
“(For my determined purpose is) that I may know him – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding (the wonders of His Person) more strongly and more clearly. And that I may in that same way come to know the power out-flowing from His resurrection (the power it exerts over believers); and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed (in spirit into His likeness) to His death.”
This was Paul’s Passionate Pursuit – to know God deeply and to follow Him and serve Him with commitment and enthusiasm. May it be yours and mine as well.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 