More Than Notion - Thoughts on Experiential Christianity, Part III

In our first post in this series, Joseph Hart's poem reminded us that "True religion's more than notion, something must be seen and felt." In the second, we heard Christ declare that an eternally vast divide can exist between one's religious lip-service about God and heart-love for God.

Let us press deeper, now, and examine ourselves in light of the Bible's repeated focus on an insatiable inward "yearning" for God in Christ. Do you salivate for God?

An Inward Yearning for God

The Psalmist was a real, historical, flesh-and-blood, daily-needs, actual person. Let us not venerate anyone, supposing they were exempt from life's struggles. Those men chosen by God to pen the words of Scripture were, perhaps more than many, fraught with earthly challenges. Even so, they were consumed with one holy ambition--A fresh personal experience with God.

Consider the following, asking yourself, "Is this descriptive of my appetite for the King?"

• "Oh God...my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You..." (Psalm 63:1)
• "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:2)
• "...as for me, the nearness of God is my good" (Psalm 73:28)
• "As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness" (Psalm 17:15)
• "O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him" (Psalm 34:8)

Friends, God is not to be examined! God means to be experienced as your greatest delight. Those who have truly tasted Him cannot subdue the desire to drink more deeply of His fulness.

The Spirit will see to it.