Psa 63:1 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
In the opening description of David’s psalm, this poet-king is caught in a desert, separated from his beloved sanctuary in Jerusalem. Previous psalms declare his great desire to be a servant in the Lord’s house making his current separation a greater burden, but a single phrase in the opening verse of Psalm 63 gives light to David’s personal philosophy. He wrote: “early will I seek thee.” The words speak to both time and timing. The time is clear: in the morning or when you rise. He woke up seeking the hand of the Lord, but the timing might be even more important.
How often do we wait until things get so bad that chaos erupts in our lives like a volcano? How often do we let things fester until the infection spreads into other parts of our spirit and home? And then, after we have exhausted all the human efforts and remedies; all the counsels and conversations with friends, we turn to God. David said, “Early will I seek thee.” It’s timing.
When there is trouble and we are lost, “Early will I seek thee.” Before the things get tangled and confusion overwhelms our minds – “Early will I seek thee.”
The wilderness is common to us all. Jesus said that in this world we would have trouble, but seeking the Lord at the first sign of distress is the key to peace and power. Beginning with Him is the pathway to healing. When there is pain in our bodies we seek a doctor. When we are lost, we seek a map or guide – at least we should, but when there are issues in our heart, spirit, or life we tend to wait. The prayer room should be our first stop and our motto should be: Early will I seek thee.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole