Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
—Psalm 32:6
It’s not really so hard to be faithful. It's more a desire of the heart than a job to complete. It's an intention that sets us on a course and keeps us there.
Consider a sailor setting out from land and spending weeks on the ocean waiting for his destination port. His intent is what gives him the impetus to leave in the first place. There may be many trials and tribulations to encounter on the ocean along the way.
There will be moments when it seems a repetitive and boring task that just needs to be completed. There will be times when the sailor wants to give up on the original destination and settle in some other smaller port along the way. The faithfulness is not found in the struggles or the temptations or the trials, but in the desire that caused the sailor to begin the journey in the first place.
When we detect a hunger for God in our soul, we have begun making the decision for faithfulness. We have begun to set out from the familiar land of our comfort and started the holy trek toward the heart of heaven.
We will certainly find ourselves besieged with inconveniences and difficulties along the way. We will struggle to keep ourselves focused on the destination. There will be oh so many distractions that will seem more attractive and appealing. We might even stop for awhile and think that we will just give up on our destination.
But after a time, the desire that began the journey will wiggle its way back into our soul. We will remember why we set out. We’ll say goodbye to our enchanting diversions and find ourselves heading again toward the heart of heaven. The faithfulness is always found again and again in the seed of desire that is lodged firmly in the soul.
No, it’s not really so hard to be faithful. All we need to do is listen for the desire and follow when she calls.
Gracious God, awaken me to the desire in my soul that longs only for you.
