05.04. David's Determination

David’s Determination

"My soul followeth hard after Thee." The original word is dah-vak, which means literally to stick to, cleave to (as with glue). "My bones cleave to my skin " (Psa 102:5). "My soul cleaveth to the dust" (Psa 119:25). "I have stuck unto Thy testimonies" (Psa 119:31). "The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth unto the roof of his mouth for thirst" (Lam 4:4). But here it is with the preposition "after," and therefore "followeth hard after," suitably supplies the ellipsis and exactly expresses the meaning. Boaz says, "Abide here fast by my maidens" (Ruth 2:8). The word dai-vak occurs in Pro 18:24, "There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." David means, therefore, that he followed after the Lord, not at a distance, but having overtaken Him, he abode fast by Him.

There is everything to make the child of God do this: a world at enmity with Him; the devil at constant war with Him; a deceitful heart that cannot believe in Him; a cowardly self that will not acknowledge Him. Truly my soul followeth hard after Him; we long to breathe our desires to Him; but the flesh is weak, and language is lame, and ability is wanting. We would live a life of praise to the God of all our mercies, but we cannot do the thing that we would. We desire that love should burn more fervently, but the flames break not forth as we would have them. It is a following hard after God; it is our determination. It is our "toiling in rowing," but Jesus Christ is on the mount of intercession, and soon He will come and bless His toiling ones with His own presence, with the full enjoyment of the peace and quietness which He now deals to them only in measure. Lastly, we come to...