To Know and Follow Hard

For my morning devotions for the past few months I've been digging into Psalms for the umpeenth time. This go around, however, I've been applying Dr. Charles Stanley's method of study=Observation (what's going on), Inspiration (what about this passage speaks to me) and Application (how can I live this out). It's been a nice fresh way to re-read and view passages I've read countless times. 

Today I landed on Psalm 63--a familiar Psalm. Verse 8 jumped out at me: "My soul clings to you"...Wow! That got me...does my soul CLING to God? I looked up the verse in the KJ version and was stopped short: "My soul followeth hard after Thee..." Wow again...2 things immediately came to mind.

Years ago, the band Passion put out a song called "One Pure and Holy Passion" which began like this:

"Give me one pure and holy passion

Give me one magnificent obsession

Give me one glorious ambition for my life

To know and follow hard after You"

I had no idea that "to follow hard" was scriptural...but there it was! Very cool. The second thing it made me think of when I sat back and began to mull it over, was Solomon. 

I would love to say that Solomon loves and respects Mark and I equally but it's not so. I am Master. I am 99% feeder and waterer, walker, hugger, discipliner, snack giver, etc. Because of this, he follows me. Everywhere. 99% of the time. I come down in the morning and I'm bumping into him as I'm making coffee, getting my Bible, and when I sit down to study he plants his face on my leg until I stroke him...and if I stop, he face plants again...and again...and again until he gets enough. When I get home from work he is at my heals. Doing chores he'll follow me from room to room. Even if I'm just sitting and playing Scrabble on my phone or,like now, typing on the computer, he'll lay close by. Why is this?

There are "scientific" reasons: Imprinting=recognizing me as an object of trust (like when ducklings follow a parent duck) and Reinforcement=the bond is paired over time with positive reinforcement (treats, love, attention) It's funny--even when I walk him and he's off the leash, every few steps he'll glance behind to make sure I am following. 

I paralleled this (roughly) with this amazing verse, "My soul followeth hard after Thee"...God has certainly imprinted Himself in my life as an object of trust. Over and over and over again. He has NEVER--EVER--failed me. I know I can follow Him and even if I don't know where He is leading me, I can have no fear (Psalm 23 in action!) Whether it is green pastures or still waters, He always has my best interests at heart. Just like I would never lead Solomon into a dangerous situation, God would never do the same to me. 

As far as reinforcement goes, yes--over the years my "bond" with God has grown immensely and I know that blessing abound with the deepened trust and faith that grows each day. Some I see immediately (like a treat I give Solomon), and some I have faith will come in time. I know that He is safe, present, comforting, playful at times, providing, guiding, and even has to use His hand of discipline when I need it...again, all things I do with my beloved pups. 

The only difference I could figure was that at 4:15am, after the third face plant on my leg and Solomon's drool wetting my nightgown and his eyes begging again, "See me, Mommy! Pet me, Mommy!" I start to get a little annoyed. Or if I'm trying to vacuum the living room and he's following in my footsteps and shedding more hair on the area I JUST VACUUMED, I get a little sharp. But I don't think God is that way. When we follow hard after Him, I believe He rewards that and it's honoring to Him.

So, in my "Application" piece, I contemplated this...do I "follow hard" after God? Do I pursue Him, His attention, His presence, His very being with the amount of devotion that Solomon, a mere canine, gives to me? Do I plant my face at His feet and beg for attention? For consolation? Or just for reassurance that He is there? Do I follow after Him in trust? And when I rest a bit, is it at His feet?  What a glorious ambition that would be...