Longing Fulfilled

Have you ever experienced a longing, to the point of an aching in your heart for someone you once knew? Perhaps that person is no longer living or perhaps they moved away and can no longer physically share in a cup of coffee or go for a walk. Perhaps there has been a strain in the relationship and although the physical distance is not great, emotionally the distance seems like planets away. A word or thought conjures memories that only make the longing greater.

David described this longing when he wrote, “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.” (Ps 63:1O) Because we were all made in God’s image (Gen 1:26-27) there is a longing in our hearts to know Him and to have intimacy with Him. Some may try to fill this longing with material objects while others may try to fill this with spiritual objects or customs, all the while still experiencing a longing that cannot be filled.
Something is missing…rather some One is missing.

The amazing truth is God wants and longs for that same intimacy with us! This same God who created the universe, things we can see and those that haven’t been discovered yet; all creatures great and same; the very air we breathe; planets and their positions…EVERYTHING! And yet, He wants an intimate relationship with you and me!
This is mind boggling for me.

Fact is we were created for intimacy!! As God created us to be relational with each other, he also created us to be relational with him. Isaiah wrote, “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.” (Is 30:18) God is not just an image or statue or thought to be worshipped, sung about, or talked about only one day a week.

The only way to nurture any relationship is by getting to know that person. If we only observed from a distance or build a relationship based upon what others knew about that person it will never be our own personal relationship. Something would also be missing. Had I not spent time getting to know my husband but only listened to others describe their relationship with him admiration rather than love would have developed. I would have missed out getting to know and fall in love with an amazing man. Likewise only relying on another’s view of who God is cannot be the basis of what our relationship is with him. If it is we miss out on an amazing journey of past, present and future discoveries of “who and what” God is. The Bible describes a loving, compassionate, patient, kind, gentle and good God, who laughs, cries, sings, gets tired, hungry and yes even gets angry. We were created in His image and we experience all the same emotions.

We sense His closeness as we talk with Him. Sense His peace and comfort when we are lonely, sad, confused or in the midst of a crisis. We realize he will never leave us but always sticks closer to us than anyone else, no matter what we have done.

This is not a relationship based on Hollywood’s description of a God follower. Nor is it a relationship that is only available to certain people or classes of people. This relationship is available to anyone who wants and longs for it.

What about you? Where are you on this journey?