The German word Sehnen, describing intense longing, came to mind on this first Lenten Sunday as I read a familiar passage. Let us
ponder these words penned by the Sons of Korah, my dear brothers and sisters:
"As the deer pants for water,
so my soul yearns for the living God."
-- Psalm 42:1, NIV
Dry.
Thirsty.
Parched.
Do the above words describe our intense longing for God?
Does this Lenten season reveal our utter need and deliberate choice to have Jesus above all else?
Are we dry?
Are we thirsty?
Are our lips parched?
We are dry in the soul.
We are thirsty for satisfaction.
Our lips are parched from neglecting God's Word.
Jesus is the water that can moisten our dry souls, satisfy our deep thirst, and wet our parched lips. Yet do we go to Him? Do we bring our longing to Him?
Are the prayers we voice or silently muse reflecting souls that are longing for Christ, today? Can we truly say that our hearts are stirring within our breast at the sheer mention of God's name—Jesus, the Anointed One, the Dayspring, Emmanuel, the Alpha and the Omega, etc.? Are we completely won over by His amazing grace and unparalleled love? If not, what may be hindering us from truly desiring Him alone, the One who is our blessed hope?
Thirsty.
Parched.
Do the above words describe our intense longing for God?
Does this Lenten season reveal our utter need and deliberate choice to have Jesus above all else?
"In the morning when I rise
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Give me Jesus."
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Give me Jesus."
-- Traditional Spiritual
Are we dry?
Are we thirsty?
Are our lips parched?
We are dry in the soul.
We are thirsty for satisfaction.
Our lips are parched from neglecting God's Word.
Jesus is the water that can moisten our dry souls, satisfy our deep thirst, and wet our parched lips. Yet do we go to Him? Do we bring our longing to Him?
"Jesus, the
thought of You
It takes my breath
away
One whisper of
Your voice
Amazing Jesus
Jesus, the touch
of You
It takes my pain
away
Come near, my
God, I cry
Embrace me,
Jesus"
-- Extracted from My Treasure, ORU Band
Are the prayers we voice or silently muse reflecting souls that are longing for Christ, today? Can we truly say that our hearts are stirring within our breast at the sheer mention of God's name—Jesus, the Anointed One, the Dayspring, Emmanuel, the Alpha and the Omega, etc.? Are we completely won over by His amazing grace and unparalleled love? If not, what may be hindering us from truly desiring Him alone, the One who is our blessed hope?
God’s grace has placed a void, a
yearning, a desire within the heart of mankind for Himself, whether or not we
recognize it. At times, we feel scared of His wrath, distant from the intimacy
He offers instead of feeling close and intimately reconciled in the Spirit of
peace and love. Could this disconnectedness, this unfulfilled longing exist because
we have allowed distractions to wedge themselves between our hearts and that of
our glorious Bridegroom? Could it be because of unaddressed habitual sin,
un-confessed worldliness, and unashamed distrust of God’s promises of
forgiveness? Could it be that we are still seeking to earn our salvation
through the “filthy rags” of religiosity instead of trusting His grace
completely? Better yet, could it be because God wants to reveal to us that He
alone is the sole Satisfier of our souls?
The apostle Paul addressed this issue in Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (KJV). Clearly, God's Word reveals that fleshly desires emerge when we erroneously believe that our value depends on what we do, what we own, and what others think of us -- that is, human goals and expectations.
However, what are God's goals for us?
God desires to bring about holiness and sanctification in our lives. He "forgives all our sins, and heals all our diseases, redeems our lives from the pit, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Psalm 103:3-5, NIV).
The apostle Paul addressed this issue in Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (KJV). Clearly, God's Word reveals that fleshly desires emerge when we erroneously believe that our value depends on what we do, what we own, and what others think of us -- that is, human goals and expectations.
However, what are God's goals for us?
God desires to bring about holiness and sanctification in our lives. He "forgives all our sins, and heals all our diseases, redeems our lives from the pit, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Psalm 103:3-5, NIV).
As God reveals Himself to us today,
I pray our hearts will not be so guarded that we would miss Him. As instances of dissatisfaction surface, I pray we will gain the vision to see that God is calling us to Him that He might satisfy us with His love and presence. As moments of disappointment manifest themselves, I pray we will receive the wisdom to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ -- He is our blessed hope of glory!
Let us, like Habakkuk, “station [ourselves] on His ramparts and look to see what He will say to us!” (2:1) Let us go to the throne of grace, mercy, and sublime love, praying that He will direct us to unreservedly love Him, long for Him, and worship Him with intense passion and commitment. He is the One who fulfills every good desire. In fact, His Word says, “A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, . . . it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)
Let us, like Habakkuk, “station [ourselves] on His ramparts and look to see what He will say to us!” (2:1) Let us go to the throne of grace, mercy, and sublime love, praying that He will direct us to unreservedly love Him, long for Him, and worship Him with intense passion and commitment. He is the One who fulfills every good desire. In fact, His Word says, “A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, . . . it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)
Let us pray.
Sweet Jesus, we thank You for desiring our ultimate best. We rend our affections on this lenten morning. Envelop our hearts with the understanding that Your work on the Cross was complete; and that, by grace through faith, Your blood effectively killed in us every aspect of moral filth and the prevalent evil that our hearts harbor. As we face trials of many kinds, be pleased to increase our longing for the day when our glorified bodies will house the kinds of desires that will be fully God-honoring. May we, throughout this season and subsequent ones, increasingly grow in our yearning and longing for You! Amen.
Sweet Jesus, we thank You for desiring our ultimate best. We rend our affections on this lenten morning. Envelop our hearts with the understanding that Your work on the Cross was complete; and that, by grace through faith, Your blood effectively killed in us every aspect of moral filth and the prevalent evil that our hearts harbor. As we face trials of many kinds, be pleased to increase our longing for the day when our glorified bodies will house the kinds of desires that will be fully God-honoring. May we, throughout this season and subsequent ones, increasingly grow in our yearning and longing for You! Amen.
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