🍞 Manna for Meditation 81

💞 Dear Royal Praying Priests, shalom!

💎 “Adonai your God you will fear—Him will you serve. To Him will you cling, and by His Name will you swear.” (Deu 10:20, TLV) 

💎 “But cling to Adonai your God, as you have done to this day.” (Jos 23:8, TLV)

The Hebrew word דָּבַק (dabaq) translated as “cling” in the above verses is used to describe intimacy. דָּבַק (dabaq) means to cling, cleave, stay close, hold fast, stick with, pursue closely, or join together. It literally means “to stick like glue.” דָּבַק (dabaq) is also the same word used to illustrate how a husband should leave his father and mother, and “cleave to” or “unite to” his wife in Genesis 2:24.

Have you ever seen a koala hugging a gum tree, a young child holding his parents’ hands tightly and not letting go, or an intimate cuddle between a husband and a wife? That is the picture of דָּבַק (dabaq)! Clinging to God is to stay close to Him and does not allow anything else to get between God and us.

What do you cling to or hold tightly in your life? When trouble or difficulty comes, what are the things that you could not afford to lose? Could it be someone, or something like money, properties, family fame, pride, ego, social status, career, hobbies or dreams? Why couldn’t you let go of them? Is it because of fear, insecurity, worries, or lack of love?

“As for those who run after another god, may their sorrows multiply.” (Psm 16:4a, TLV)

Anything that gets between God and us is “another god”. It keeps us away from cleaving to God passionately with all our heart, and we will suffer more and more. Today let us take some time asking God to reveal any “other god” in our lives. Remove the idols in our hearts, keep pursuing God and stick with Him to the end!

🙏Dear Heavenly Father, we humbly bow down before You and ask You to reveal any idols in our lives. Please take them away from us and demolish any strongholds in our lives, as we are determined to fear You, serve You and cling to You alone! We long for a close, ongoing and intimate relationship with You and we believe in Your promises. Whenever we pursue you closely and run into Your arms, absolutely nothing is able to separate us from Your love (Rom 8:35-39). In Yeshua’s name we pray and bless You, Amen.