In more than 25 years as a counselor, I can tell you that every one of my counselee’s problems found its root in an unmet longing. We all feel a longing in our hearts for intimacy, to be connected on a deep level with family and friends. And when this longing goes unmet, feelings of isolation and loneliness, even depression, control our lives.
Perhaps you have not realized that these longings are your primal desire for our heavenly Father--there by God's design. Who better than David expresses this longing of our hearts for Father love? "My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have beheld You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory, because your loving-kindness is better than life…as the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God" (Psalm 63:1-2; 42:1).
But listen to this: GOD also LONGS for us. Isaiah‘s words in 30:18, express the heart of our Father God: "…the Lord longs to be gracious to you…He waits on high to have compassion on you…how blessed are those who long for Him."
Forgetting that our “natural” longings are really longings for God, we try to satisfy them by earthly means. But they are not easily satisfied, are they?
How can our longings be satisfied? By delighting in God (Psalm 37), seeking Him, seeking to please Him, and avoiding anything that chills our passion toward Him. God says: "I love those who love Me, and those who diligently seek me will find me" (Proverbs 17). And we must watch our hearts to root out anything of self-love. Remember: Jesus warned in the latter days, "the love of many will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12).
Dear Greg,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your blogs! I'm still listening to the Treasures of Truth lessons. Amen! May God continue to use this technology to herald His abundant life in Christ through you and Altha.
Yours in Christ,
John
Rom. 5:10
Greg,
ReplyDeleteI also bless you for your blogs, even though my level of technological prowess is still keeping me from logging in under my own name!
The truths you present are things that up to this point in my life have been peripheral. Now, after becoming reqcquainted with them, I realize that they have always needed to occupy a primary place!
Gratitude from the depths of my heart.
Stan
PS: I looked up the verse John Woodward signed off with. It is one of the "much more" verses! I have read only one book that actually used that verse for its text: "The Saving Life of Christ" by Major Ian Thomas. It is probably out of print but I do recall being swept away by its truth.
Thanks for the encouraging feedback.
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