"Longing For Him"

By Zach Wood

Psalm 42:1-2

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?

 

 

There are many things we all long for and desire to do.

 

We long for our next vacation. 

 

We long for that next promotion at work.

 

We long for the visit from our family. 

 

We long for sporting events.

 

We long for that new home.

 

We long for that new car.

 

 

It is so easy to look forward to events in our lives and long for those times of gathering with other people.  However, we tend to push God away and out of our time each day to make room for other things.  These things mentioned above are not necessarily bad in themselves, but the priority we place on them can draw us away from growing with God if we become focused on them. 

 

Remember back to when you were a child.  You longed for those nights when a friend could spend the night so you could stay up watching movies, playing video games and telling stories.  You longed for the days when you could go to amusement parks and ride thrill rides all day long.  You longed for Christmas morning when the presents were under the tree and the stockings appeared to burst if one more goodie was placed in there.  These were good times!

 

I cannot help but think how our Father must feel when we long for things in life, but then become dull in our longing for Him.  How it must break His heart when we place other material things above Him and other adventures in life above having a close relationship with Him.  It is so easy for us to put God on the back burner and just go to Him when we need something.  God wants to be so much part of our lives.

 

He longs for us to long for Him.  These verses of Psalms are so powerful.  Our desire for God should be so powerful that we thirst, pant and long for Him more than anything we desire in this world.  As the deer pants for streams of water, we should also pant for the Living Water.  The last part of this passage says it all......Where can I go and meet with God?  That is powerful! 

 

Do you long for God each day of your life?  Do you long for the time you can have just sitting and communing with Him?  Is He truly your soul desire?  If He is not, then something must change.  Long for Him, and Him alone.