Press On

S ~ Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.

Hosea 6:3

O ~ God expresses His desire for us to know Him, and to love Him. And here is the prophet's response - an encouragement to press on - to not give up - to press on and press in to know Him. The assurance is that as we do, He will surely respond to us. Even as there are things in nature that we can be confident to expect - no one doesn't expect the sun to come up, or the weather to change in the Spring - for it always has,  so it is as we press on to know the Lord - He will surely respond.

A ~ The exhortation is clear: pressing on requires intentionality. It requires effort. It requires pressing on, pressing in, pressing through. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violence take it by force. There is not passivity in this instruction - pressing on is not a result, but it does bring results - the Lord responds!

P ~ Lord, I do want to know You. I want to know You more, know You better, know You deeper. I want to posture my life to press through the outer courts, into the Holy Place, past the brazen altar, Lord I want to see Your face. Pass me by the crowds of people, and priests who sing Your praise - Lord I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness, but's it's only found in one place. Take me in to the holy of holies, take me in by the blood of the Lamb. Take me in to the holy of holies - take the coal, cleanse my lips - here I am.