Can You DIG It?

As I wrote my last post (DIY or DIG) a line from a ‘60s song, “Grazing in the Grass” (The Friends of Distinction) kept coming to mind. The line was “Can you dig it? Can you dig it?” When I checked the song the verse was a little different and reflected the title. The chorus, however, is what is memorable. “I can dig it, he can dig it, she can dig it, we can dig it, they can dig it, you can dig it, Oh, let's dig it, can you dig it, baby?”

Back then the term “dig” had nothing to do with using a shovel in the dirt. “Dig it!” or “You dig?” was a slang term that meant to like. The term carried a sense of desire and enjoyment. “Dig” was used for everything from clothing to ice cream to music and everything else. If you liked it, you dug it.

Another song, “I Dig Rock ‘n Roll Music” (Peter Paul and Mary) talked about how much they enjoyed that genre. The song also included references to some of the work of their favorite singers. The term,dig became popular and was used by many young people.

Spending our lives continually in the presence of God should be full of that same desire and enjoyment. We do not merely need God’s wisdom and power, we need Him. There is so much more to our relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship provides constant companionship, unconditional love, total forgiveness, everlasting friendship, complete security and a whole lot more that we can dig.

Many worship songs are based on Scriptures that describe the longing for God’s continual presence in every area of our lives. “As the hart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God.” (Psalm 42:1 AMP)  “My soul yearns, yes, even pines and is homesick for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out and sing for joy to the living God.” (Psalm 84:2 AMP) Both of these Psalms were written by the sons of Korah. King David expressed his longing for God’s presence many times including, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11 AMP) These verses and many others have been arranged into modern day worship songs. These have been sung by millions of people all around the world. 

My acronym from the last post is DIG – do it with God. We need to do everything in life with the Lord’s presence permeating it all. King David truly understood this. When he was wandering in the wilderness, running from Saul, he wrote “O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is.” (Psalm 63:1 AMP) When bringing the ark of God back to Jerusalem he expressed his joy with dance. “And David danced before the Lord with all his might, clad in a linen ephod [a priest’s upper garment].” (2 Samuel 6:14 AMP) When he was criticized by his wife he responded in this manner. “David said to Michal, It was before the Lord, Who chose me above your father and all his house to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord. Therefore will I make merry [in pure enjoyment] before the Lord.” (2 Samuel 6:21 AMP) In all circumstances David welcomed the presence of God in his life. He chose to DIG in everything.

In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul encourages remaining close to God in everything. “Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 Amp)   “I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.  I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who ^[g]infuses inner strength into me; I am ^[h]self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].” (4:12-13 AMP) Like David and Paul, many others in the Bible understood the necessity of a minute by minute dependence on God. We must also learn this truth.

From the moment we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep, we should seek His companionship. As we sleep we can invite God into our dreams and enjoy His protection. At all times we can do it with God. (DIG) And we can find true enjoyment in it.  We can dig the DIG lifestyle.

So in the style of The Friends of Distinction…David can DIG it, Paul can DIG it, your brothers and sisters in Christ ca DIG it. Can you DIG it? You can DIG it!