What have you really longed for? Sunshine? The pelting sound of rain as it falls to earth? The voice of a loved one or friend? The crackle of a fire place? The site of home? To sleep in your own bed? Maybe sleep itself? Longing is more than just a passing urge or taste for something. Longing is a deep desire of the heart, a craving of the soul. It affects our mood, captures our thoughts, disturbs our very being.
What have you really longed for? OR who have you really longed for? What or who consumes your waking thought, fills your dreams, keeps you tossing and turning as you try to sleep? The psalmist describes his longing for God as a thirsty deer desperate to drink from the fresh flowing streams of water. He's parched by the conditions of life and clamors for the refreshment only God can bring. Surrounded by scoffers and critics, he feels all alone, abandoned and weak.
I've been there all too often. When life gets really hard, when I feel the oppression of people, circumstance and Satan, my chest tightens, my muscles tense, depression creeps into my life. It sometimes feels like I'm all alone in the world. That I'm the only one who really cares about the vision God implanted in me. It makes me want to run away and hide. I long just to be in the presence of God.
The good news is that in desperation I run to God. And when I run to God, He's there. In fact, He's been there all along. If I had that kind of longing each and every day, my depression, loneliness, and panic wouldn't overwhelm me. I'm learning that the key to an even keel, a satisfying life, a positive perspective is placing my trust in God, praising Him in all circumstance.
God, I can't imagine life without you. Life is tough enough knowing you. Living without you would be intolerable, hopeless, meaningless, lonely. God, I do long for you in corporate worship. I do long for you in distress. I long to hear your voice, to sense you presence, to see your hand move. I long to see others coming to you. Fill my cup Lord. I lift it up to you!
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