“Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.” Ps. 43:3,4
Did you catch the progression? “to Your holy hill…to Your tabernacle…to the altar of God…to God”. There is a great danger for all of us in drawing near to God; but just not near enough. Of stopping just short of the absolute best He has to offer us - namely, Himself. To settle for close proximity rather than ravishing intimacy.
Some saints are satisfied with simply making it to His "holy hill." Others press on to His "tabernacle." Still others make their way “to the altar of God.” But the highest prize and deepest joy is jealously reserved only for those who personally and passionately take hold of God for themselves. He alone qualifies as “my exceeding joy.” Going to church is good, but it is not enough. Listening to a great sermon is a wonderful blessing, but it is still not enough. Being part of an awesome worship service is great, but it is still cannot provide what (or better - Who) our souls were made for. Being mentored by a spiritual leader we admire is a great opportunity, but even it is not enough.
Our deepest needs can only, but only, be met through vitally encountering God Himself. As Tozer perceptibly notes, "When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself. The evil habit of seeking "God-and" effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the "and" lies our great woe. If we omit the "and" we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing."
J. Oswald Sanders puts it so well:
"Christ is claiming the ability to satisfy the deepest need of the human heart, yet we are strangely reluctant to come directly to Him. We will attend ceremonies and observe sacraments. We will follow men and congregate in meetings. We will frequent camps and conventions. We will listen to priests and preachers - anything, it would seem, except come personally and alone into the presence of Christ. But He is absolutely intolerant. He will quench our spiritual thirst personally and not by proxy.”
I love his thought, “But He is absolutely intolerant. He will quench our spiritual thirst personally and not by proxy.” So, very, very true! May God grant us the wisdom to know the subtle ways we are trying to quench our thirst through proxy. And the courage and determination to draw near enough to Him to let the deep recesses of our soul be thrilled anew with HIs "exceeding joy" Nothing and no one else will do the job.
Flashpoint: Only the full-throttle enjoyment of God Himself can wholly satisfy the deepest longings He has created within our hearts. Don't settle for a proxy.
