Burning Spiritual Desire

Text: Psalm 119:33-40

Key verse: “Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness” (Psalm 119:36).

One day, a proud young man came to Socrates, a classical Greek Athenian philosopher, to ask for knowledge. Socrates, who easily recognized the young man’s pomposity, led him through the streets, to the sea and chest deep into water. Then, Socrates asked: “What do you want?” The young man, with a smile, replied: “Knowledge, O wise Socrates.” Socrates repeated the exercise the second and third time, but the young man still maintained: “Knowledge, O wise and wonderful.” On the fourth time, after putting him in water for fifty seconds, Socrates let him up and asked again: “What do you want?” This time, the pompous young man screeched: “Air! I need air!” Then, Socrates said: “When you want knowledge as you have just wanted air, then you will have knowledge.”

The psalmist placed himself in such a situation to seek God and His righteousness as much as he needed air. This could explain why he forgot everything else and placed righteousness as a top priority of his heartfelt desire. His heart’s desire was expressed through his petitions. He wanted to know more of God’s statutes in order to keep them unto the end. He further requested for understanding so that he could observe God’s law with his whole heart. The Lord is not interested in partial obedience. Rather, He delights in total obedience to His commandments. The psalmist also prayed for restraining grace, requesting God to turn away his eyes from beholding vanity. 


Considering the fact that “the world passes away and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abided forever,” every heaven-bound pilgrim should always pray for grace to be preserved from the pollution of this present evil world. The coming of the Lord is imminent. What is the topmost desire in your life? Are you constantly having a critical self-examination of your life? Have a burning desire to please God.

Thought For You: Devotion signifies a life given or devoted to God.

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