Our Deepest Longing

The deepest longing of the human heart is to meet with God. Some people may not recognize it, and in some it may be buried very deep, but we all have a longing for a meaningful and abiding relationship with our Creator. The psalmist said it this way, As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? (Psalm 42:1-2, NIV)

We are in the habit of filling our life with many things in an effort to satisfy the longing within, when the only way it will be fulfilled is by kneeling at the feet of our Creator and acknowledging Him as Lord and Savior. And then spending time with Him every day, so we can keep our relationship with Him alive and fresh. 

The wonderful thing about this is that He also wants to be in relationship with us. I am sure all of us who are parents can understand His desire for relationship. We want our children to love us, to want to be with us, to look up to us. We do not want them to “love” us just for what we can give them. It makes us unhappy when they show us disrespect and when they go their own way and refuse to listen to our godly advice.

We were created in the image of God, and it is His desire for us to acknowledge Him, to worship Him, and to live our lives to please Him. God always has our best interests at heart. He wants to bless us. And for us to receive His blessings, we must be in correct relationship with Him.

Instead of running after all the things that the world offers, we would be so much better off to look to the One who can meet every need that we have. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells us, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). So many times we fall into the trap of seeking for things that will not last. We get a new “this or that,” and it seems to satisfy for a time, and then the new wears off, and we are back where we started. We can see this illustrated in the desires of our children. There is always something new that just has to be obtained to make life worthwhile—and how soon the new item is discarded in favor of something else that must be obtained—and on it goes.

None of the things that we obtain will satisfy our longing for God. I have heard it said that there is a God-shaped vacuum inside each of us, and it can only be filled by the Lord Jesus. My desire is to seek Him. Seek is defined as to go in search or quest of; to try to obtain. Synonyms of seek are pursue and follow. Some lyrics from one of my favorite worship songs speak of seeking the Lord: My soul follows hard after Thee; Early in the morning I will rise up and seek Thee.* Seeking God requires effort; it requires time. Wouldn’t our time and effort be well spent seeking after the One who will fill our deepest longings?

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1-NIV)

*My Soul Follows Hard After Thee, ©1978 Jeffrey Smith, Words and Music by Jeffrey Smith

By This Shall All Men Know...

Lately, the Spirit has been speaking to my heart about love. The Bible tells us that God is love (I John 4:8), and that His love has been shed abroad or poured out into the hearts of His children (Romans 5:5). But it is not supposed to end there. God loves us not only for our sake, but also that we may show His love to others. His Word tells us, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). We are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. And it is more than saying, “I love you.” Love requires action. We are to be sensitive to the needs of those in the family of God and be willing to minister to them. It is so sad that many churches are fraught with division, and the love of God is not evident in the relationships of those who say they love the Lord. John asks us, How can you love God whom you have not seen, when you cannot love your brother whom you have seen? (I John 4:20) 

Beyond that, we are to love those who are not yet in the family of God. A very familiar verse of scripture tells us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God loves humanity so much that He sent His Son to die for us, and it is His plan for us to take the gospel message to those who do not have a relationship with Him (Mark 16:15).

There are several ways to love those in need of the Savior:

1. We can pray for their hearts to be open to receive the gospel, and ask the Lord to provide opportunities to share the good news with them.

2. We can launch or become involved in ministries that help to meet practical physical needs.

3. We can build relationships by offering a listening ear. Some people just need to know someone cares about what they are going through.

4. We can share our testimony and witness to them about the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

It seems to me that it is easy to get so wrapped up in living what we believe to be “good Christian lives” that we neglect to reach out to others with the love of Christ. I have found that most of the time when the Spirit leads me to write about something, I need to work on it in my own life, and this is no exception.

Lord, help us to remember that we are to love with Your love. May we be willing vessels through which Your love flows to others.

Guard Your Heart

Those of us who work with computers are familiar with the phrase, “Garbage in, garbage out.” If we want to print accurate reports, we must enter accurate data. Results produced are only as good as the information entered. The same is true in our lives. To live godly, productive lives we must protect our hearts so that only good enters. Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (NASB). The NKJV says, “. . . for out of it spring the issues of life.”

Out of the heart flow the issues of life. Whatever is important to you (what is in your heart) will show in your outward life, in one way or another, for the world to see. It may be hidden for a while, but it will eventually be revealed by your words and actions. When a cup is filled beyond what it can contain, it overflows. In the same way, whatever fills the heart will eventually overflow in our lives. Matthew 12:34 says “. . . for the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (NASB). Luke tells us, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (6:45, NKJV). What is inside of us flows out of us and affects other lives, for good or evil.

If is really not difficult to discover what is in a person’s heart. Just listen to their words. What is important to an individual is revealed by the words they speak. “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man” (Matthew 15:18, NASB). We are mistaken if we think that we can keep secret what we have taken into our hearts.

How do we guard our hearts? First, become aware of the fact that everything we see, hear and think enters the heart. It concerns me that some Christians seem to believe it does not matter what they allow into their minds and hearts, when the Word of God clearly teaches it is of utmost importance. The scripture I quoted above from Proverbs says guard your heart with all diligence. Diligence is defined as constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken.

The Amplified translation states it this way: “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.” This tells me that nothing is more important in my life than guarding my heart. Our enemy is using every means possible to destroy us. It is imperative that we constantly and earnestly guard (or protect) our hearts.

If necessary, make changes in your life to prevent evil from entering your heart. Paul admonishes us, “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8). If the things that we watch or listen to do not meet this criteria, we need to change what we see and hear. And then, it is important to replace what we have previously focused on with things that are pleasing to God. We are able to center our minds on good things by receiving the Word of God through regular reading, study, and meditation.

And of course, we must not forget to add prayer, asking God to purify our hearts. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). This is a prayer He is more than willing to answer.

These steps will bring about change on the inside, and the change will be revealed by our outward attitude and actions.

Father, I want You to be pleased with what is in my heart. Help me to be ever mindful that whatever is inside of me will flow out of me, and that what I say and do affects those around me for good or evil. Give me a pure heart that my life may touch others in a positive way.

I Want My Freedom!

Recently while going through some of my old journals, I found the following poem that the Lord gave me many years ago:

The still, small voice inside me speaks,
But do I listen? No, not me.
I go on through my life so free.
Free?
No, not me.

I listen to the voice so fine,
To tell me what to do this time.
I go on through my life so free.
Free?
Yes, I’m free!

The Word of God tells us, "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature" (Galatians 5:13 NIV).

Some people think of freedom as the ability to do whatever they want whenever they want. In truth, doing whatever you desire with no restrictions often leads to tragedy. When our children are small, to provide safety we restrict their activities. For example, loving parents will not allow their child to play in the street. This is not to keep the child from having fun; it is to protect the child from harm! In the same way, God provides boundaries to keep us safe.

Some have the attitude that they don’t want anyone telling them what to do. They have no desire to submit to God whom they believe is harsh and wants to keep them from enjoying life. But we have all seen the results of a life out of control. Those who become involved in activities such as drinking, taking drugs, illicit sexual relationships, etc. find that what began as fun eventually brings bondage, rather than freedom. Not wanting to be subject to a loving God, they find themselves under the control of addictions from which they cannot escape.

As we read the Word of God and become familiar with His voice, we find that obeying Him and staying within the boundaries He has set will keep us on the path of freedom. Even when we fail and get on the wrong path God does not give up on us. He calls us back and gives us many opportunities to change our course.

Father, thank You that You have called us to live in freedom and that You provide the way for us to do it. You are truly the greatest parent of all!

If You Love Me . . .

It is so easy to say, “Lord, I love you.” But how many of us prove our love for Him. Jesus tells us in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” When most of us imagine acts of love, obedience is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But there it is. If you love Me . . . you will obey.

“But Lord I would rather . . .” Obey Me. “But wouldn’t it be better to do it this way?” Obey Me. “Lord, You couldn’t really mean for me to do that!” Obey Me.

Throughout God’s Word, we are given promises that obedience will bring blessings. Why do we stubbornly refuse to obey and forfeit the blessings that God wants to bestow upon us? We are like the children of Israel who over and over again lived for a while in obedience which brought blessings, only to turn away from God in disobedience, including the worship of idols, which brought destruction. We are witnessing the same thing happening in our nation today. Though we were founded as a Christian nation, we have come to a time when the majority of Americans have no regard for God and worship every kind of “idol” imaginable, an idol being anything or anyone that we hold in a higher place in our hearts than God.

Psalm 33:12 tells us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” We have been the most blessed nation on earth for some time; but now that America for the most part has turned away from God, we are seeing the destroying hand of the enemy moving across our nation.

I believe if America could hear God’s heart today, He would be saying, Turn back to Me. Love Me. Obey Me. And I will restore you, just as I did the children of Israel so many times.

We as God’s children need to act first. Even those of us who say we love Him many times fail to obey Him. We have lost our first love and need to repent and do our first works over (see Revelation 2:4-5). If the fire of love for God would be rekindled on the altars of our hearts, what a difference we could make in this world. A passionate love for God would change our actions. Instead of living in our self-indulgent lifestyles, we would obey. Our first priority would be to reach out to those who need to know the Lord, rather than living to fulfill our own desires. 

Father, before it is too late, help us to turn away from worthless pursuits. Draw us unto Yourself. Teach us to love You. Teach us to obey.

At the Feet of Jesus

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42, NKJV).

In the scripture above, Martha was distracted by the important while failing to see what was most important.

Mary, on the other hand, was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word (v. 39, NASB). Some of us have a hard time being still before the Lord, always feeling the need to do something. I can see Mary sitting at His feet, adoring Him, and listening to His words—her devotion to Him evident on her face.

It is so sad that many of us are like Martha. The Lord is present with us because He has taken up abode in our hearts. However, our lives can be so filled with distractions that we do not enjoy the presence of the Lord. We live in a time when there is so much available to do, so many opportunities that did not exist is earlier generations. Quiet times spent at home seem to be a thing of the past.

There are many important and worthwhile activities in which we can become involved. However, there are also unnecessary activities that, if we allow it, will cause us to drift from our close relationship with the Lord. It is important for each of us to take inventory and ask the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts and lives. If He reveals to us that time we are spending on things we want to do would be better spent at the feet of Jesus, then we need to change our priorities. I have heard the expression that good is the enemy of best. Just because an activity is good and not sinful does not necessarily mean a child of God should be doing it. We must be sensitive to the Spirit as He guides us.

I have been invited many times by some of my Christian friends to join their book club. While I love to read and it would not be sinful to join, and I have many times wanted to do so, I have felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to not join. I have been unable to put into words the reason why until now. I now know that the Lord wanted me to spend time with Him so that I could discover His new direction for my life. Time reading enjoyable books would not be sinful, but because of what the Lord wanted to show me, it would have been time wasted. I am glad my friends participate in something they enjoy so much, and hope they understand that I have to do what the Holy Spirit is leading me to do.

Have you allowed your life to become so full of activities that you cannot enjoy the relationship you have with your loving Savior and Lord? If so, kneel at the feet of Jesus and ask Him to help you change your priorities. Your reward for time spent with Him will be the deep and abiding relationship with our Lord that we each long for.

The Test

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." (Genesis 22:1-2-NASB)

Can you imagine being asked to give up your child in this way? And Isaac wasn’t just the child of Abraham and Sarah born under normal circumstances. He was the son of promise born in their old age. He was the one it seemed would never come—the promise it was hard to believe would ever be fulfilled. Isaac was born twenty-five years after God first promised him. And now God wants Abraham to take him to the top of a mountain and offer him as a sacrifice.

Why would God give such a command? Today as we read this story from our vantage point we can see that it foreshadows the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. In the Old Testament account, when Abraham is about to slay his son, at the last moment the angel of the Lord calls out to him and instructs him to not take his life. He then provides a ram for the sacrifice. The ram was the substitute for Isaac. In the same way, Jesus—God’s only begotten Son became our substitute when He died on the cross. We don’t have to be punished for our sins, because He took the punishment for us.

But the Word of God reveals another reason for God’s command. Look at verses 11 and 12: But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

God wanted Abraham to fear Him—to have a reverential awe of Him, to realize that no one, not even the son of promise, was more important than his relationship with God. The fulfillment of the promise must not take priority over the One Who made the promise.

This speaks volumes to me. When God blesses us and fulfills promises He has made to us, we must never allow the fulfillment of the promises to take precedence in our lives. When we place importance on anything or anyone above God, that thing or person has become a god in our lives. And the Lord has instructed us, Thou shalt have no other gods before Me (Exodus 20:3).

God is the One who deserves our devotion. He is far above all gods (Psalm 97:9). He is our Source, the One who provides everything we need. He pours out His love upon us. And we still turn away from Him. I pray that we become like Abraham, willing to give up anything God asks of us and prioritizing our relationship with Him.