Jer. 3:10, "And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD. "

Psa. 63:8, "My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me."

Introduction:

A. The 63rd Psalm has been called, "The Morning Hymn" --- According to the early fathers, it was the custom for Christians to sing this psalm publicly every day, and on the Lord's Day it was the first song they sang.

B. The word "HARD" suggest eagerness, passion, zeal, fervor, fire, sincere, .....

C. It is possible to be a follower of the Lord, but not be a sSincere follower.

1. How Hard are we following after the Lord?

2. How Eager are we for the Lord?

3. How Earnest and Sincere are we in our Christian living?

D. In this message we will notice the characteristics of the Christian who is Sincere and following Hard after the Lord!

I. The Sincere Christian Acknowledges A Personal Relationship With The Lord.

A. Psa. 63:1, "O God, thou <art> my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;"

B. David did not speak of God as "A God" or "The God" --- he used the personal pronoun "My".

C. Like Thomas of old, David was able to say from his heart --- "My Lord and my God." - (John 20:28)

1. Do you know God The Father as your Heavenly Father?

2. God The Son as your Personal Saviour?

3. God The Holy Spirit as your Indwelling Comforter?

II. The Sincere Christian Confesses A Deep Longing For Fellowship With The Lord.

A. Psa. 63:1, "O God, thou <art> my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;"

B. The word "Early" really means "Earnestly".

1. Psa 42:1-2, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. {2} My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?"

2. Psa 84:2, "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God."

3. Psa 143:6, "I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul <thirsteth> after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah."

C. John 12:21, "The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus."

D. What a Glorious Thing it is to be possessed by a Burning Zeal For The Lord Himself.

Phil 3:10, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"

III. The Sincere Christian is Filled With Praise And Prayer To The Lord.

A. Psa 63:3-5, "Because thy lovingkindness <is> better than life, my lips shall praise thee. {4} Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. {5} My soul shall be satisfied as <with> marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise <thee> with joyful lips:"

1. Prayer and Praise go together.

2. We are not nearly thankful enough.

3. 1 Th 5:18, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

B. Phil 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

C. Acts 2:46-47, "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, {47} Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

IV. The Sincere Christian Finds Full Satisfaction In The Lord Himself.

A. Psa 63:5, "My soul shall be satisfied as <with> marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise <thee> with joyful lips:"

B. What Was It that satisfied this man? --- Possessions --- Pleasures --- Earthly Joys --- etc.

C. No! --- It was the Lord Himself that satisfied.

D. The Greater Desire we have for the Lord Himself, the more we will be Weaned Away From The Things of This World.

E. Many may desire His Blessings, but without the Blesser, we will still be Unsatisfied.

Col 3:1-4, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. {2} Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. {3} For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. {4} When Christ, <who is> our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."

V. The Sincere Christian Has Developed The Holy Art Of Meditation.

A. Psa 63:6, "When I remember thee upon my bed, <and> meditate on thee in the <night> watches."

1. David was not referring to any so-called Transcendental Meditation here.

2. He was referring to meditation in the Word of God --- and on the Person of Jesus Christ.

Psa 119:97, "O how love I thy law! it <is> my meditation all the day."

Psa 104:34, "My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD."

B. Do you know anything about this kind of meditation?

C. We are living in a Fast-Paced and Restlessness world --- How often do you Settle Down and Meditate?

VI. The Sincere Christian Is Confident And Joyful About The Future.

A. Psa 63:7, "Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice."

1. Spurgeon said in reference to this verse, "Past Deliverances minister to Present Trust and assure us of Future Joy."

2. When we are rejoicing and hiding under the shadow of God's "wings" we have no fears about the future.

B. David is Not saying that he will Not Have Troubles and trials --- but rather that Through Them All the Lord will make him Victorious.

Nahum 1:7, "The LORD <is> good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him."

VII. The Sincere Christian Proves The Present Strength of God's Hand Upholding Him.

A. No one can follow the Lord in his own strength or energy.

B. Not one of us can Sincerely Follow the Lord without Sincerely Leaning upon Him.

C. Think of being Upheld from day to day, hour to hour, and moment by moment by the Might Hand of God!

Psa 63:8, "My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me."

D. Let's pray for grace and make our vow to the Lord --- that With His Enabling and Upholding we will sincerely follow Him.

If You Are Not Saved, Nothing Else Matters