One Pure and Holy Passion

Psalm 119:20 "My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times."

I'll never forget the first time I heard the song played. I was in church and listened as our high school worship team led us in worship. The soloist sang with a heart of unbridled passion for God. The words were first recorded by the Passion Praise Band. The song, One Pure and Holy Passion goes 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

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me on magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You

To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your dicsiple in your truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you, my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lead me on and I will run after you

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
To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your disciple in the truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you

Lord to know and follow hard after you
And to grow as your disciple in your truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lead me on and I will run after you

I love those words. They remind me of the words of David in Psalm 119:20. David, writing with great passion, tells God that he is literally consumed with knowing God. I wrote an e-mail to the camp director at the camp that we use for our summer retreat each year. He responded to me earlier today. When he signed his e-mail, he didn't write, "sincerely," or "In Him" or "In His Service" or one of those lines that so many Christians use when they sign e-mails. He wrote, Totally consumed by HIS call, and then signed his name.

So, what consumes you. Between David, and my camp director friend, and the song One Pure and Holy Passion, I find myself asking that question a lot lately.

May I, like my friend, say it's God and his call on my life.

Let Him consume you!

Dear God,

Consume me. Consume my friends. Consume those who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ. Help us to desire more of you and less of us. Help us to live like ones who have been marked as your children.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.