Dec. 5: Earnestly - Linda Belhorn
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. ( Psalm 63:1)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
What does it mean to “earnestly” seek the Lord? According to the Oxford Languages dictionary, the adverb earnestly means “with sincere and intense conviction; seriously.” In Psalm 63, the Hebrew word translated as "earnestly" is "aschachreka" (אשחרך), which literally means "to seek early" or "to diligently pursue." In Hebrews 11:6, the Greek word that is translated as "earnestly" is "ektenos" (ἐκτενῶς). "Ektenos" signifies a deep, fervent, or intense seeking or desire. These three definitions of seriously, diligently and fervently pursuing signify the attitude that I would hope to have while seeking God during this Advent season.
Advent is a season observed as a time of waiting and preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas and the return of Christ at the second coming. Too often during Advent we are preoccupied with secular things such as shopping for gifts and preparing meals rather than focusing on eternal things such as earnestly seeking our Saviour. We sing Christmas carols but do not always contemplate their meaning. What if we sang “O Holy Night,” and actually did fall on our knees in worshiping our king? As beautiful as the Christmas Cantata at Orange is, can we even begin to imagine the worship described in Revelation 5:11 when John “looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.” I will never forget a conference that I attended while in college with thousands of Christians singing at one time. It was the closest I think I have ever been able to imagine how joyous and awesome worshiping God will be in eternity.
Why should we earnestly seek God? In part, because he is worthy of our praise. Revelation 4:11 states “You are worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” We should also earnestly seek God because he earnestly seeks us. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” I have always been amazed by this verse, because I cannot imagine the Saviour of the world and the King of kings and lord of lords seeking me out by knocking on my door. We should also earnestly seek him because of his great love for us. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus states that we should: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
During this Advent season, let us consider what it means to earnestly seek God. Whether we are spending time with him by reading our Bible, or singing Christmas carols, or worshiping Him by conducting our usual tasks at work and home, I challenge us all to be intentional about earnestly seeking Him. Let us love Him with all our heart and soul and mind! In closing, I am including the first two stanzas of the popular hymn, “Softly and Tenderly.”
Softly and Tenderly
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling
Calling for you and for me
See on the portals He's waiting and watching
Watching for you and for me
Come home, come home
Ye who are weary come home
Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling
Calling, "O sinner come home"
Prayer:
Father, prepare our hearts as your dwelling place. May we fevently desire to be in your presence. May earnestly seeking you be our one goal in this Advent season. May our hearts be strengthened and encouraged as we anticipate your coming!
Linda Belhorn