Camp Meeting Devotions - Day One

 This is day one of a long pilgrimage. A time of preparation for times of refreshing with God. On this journey, I challenge you from the outset to consider getting a journal to be used during these devotions. You may use it to prayerfully answer questions over the verses of the day. You may use it to write out your prayers. This time is dedicated to preparing all of us for God encounters. It is a long journey. Many may start but not finish. The challenge is to prepare yourself to meet with God more than you have AT ANY POINT IN YOUR LIFE. You will get out of these times only what you are willing to put into them. So let the journey begin. 

We are embarking on a glorious pursuit. Some would assume that the glorious pursuit is for revival. They would be wrong in those assumptions. Right from the start we need to keep one thing in mind. We are in pursuit of God for revival. Not in pursuit of revival. The pursuit of God must be first and foremost. 

You may think there is no difference. I assure you there is. Many people are in pursuit of revival. They have read about historic revivals where God poured His Spirit out in tremendous fashions. People were brought to repentance. Masses were saved. Those revivals often spread far and wide. People long to experience that. Their pursuit of revival is the pursuit of all the wonders that accompany revival. They want the experience of revival more than they want the God of revival. The pursuit of God is the most glorious pursuit. 

That is our pursuit. The most glorious of all pursuits is the pursuit of God Himself. It should be Him that we relentlessly seek. Him that we hunger and thirst to know better. There is no higher pursuit than knowing God. It saddens me how many Christians have settled for the crumbs on the floor of knowing about Him. They totally miss the feast on the table of knowing Him. 

Right from the beginning, our preparation for Camp Meeting is to pursue Him. To seek Him diligently. To linger long with Him in prayer and devotions. To yearn for Him more than our next meal. To crave Him more than anything this world offers. To relentlessly pursue Him. To follow hard after Him. To chase after Him and all that He desires to do in our lives. 

Many years ago I read a book titled, God Chasers. I loved the book and the title. We should devote ourselves to chasing after God. I am reading a book now titled, The Wild Goose Chase. Celtic Christians called the Holy Spirit the "Wild Goose." The whole book is about pursuing God and His Holy Spirit. I challenge you today to chase God and stay on the wild goose chase. There is more of God to be experienced. There is more of Him to know. There is much more of Him to encounter. It is a glorious pursuit and a magnificent adventure. Do you hunger for that? Do you yearn for more of Him?

O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. [Ps 34:8]

Ponder that verse. 

• Describe what tasting the Lord is like. 
• Are you taking the time to savor Him in devotions and your pursuit? 
• Do you rush through devotions to get onto to more important things for the day? 
• List the ways you have personally convince you that He is good. 
• Define what the LORD is good really means. 
• In your personal walk with Him, can you say you are personally finding refuge in Him? If not, list the things you are trying to take refuge in.