The Spiritual Yearning
The Heart's Deepest Desire
The world around us is filled with desires. We long for a better job, a nice car, a beautiful home, or a loving family. These desires often focus on what we can see, touch, and possess—material things. But what if we were meant to long for something more? The Bible challenges us to redirect our deepest desires from the temporary things of this world to the eternal things of God.
The Greek word for this kind of longing is epithumeo, which means to "desire eagerly" or "to have a strong impulse." It's not a casual wish; it's a profound, inner yearning. Today, we'll explore what it means to truly crave the things of God.
The Bible makes it clear: our longing should be for spiritual things.
1. A Thirst for God's Law and Salvation
The Psalmist, in Psalm 119:174, cries out, "I long for your salvation, Lord." He found joy and readiness in God’s presence, saying, "I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’" (Psalm 122:1). He had a palpable desire to be in God's presence, to worship and to learn from His law.
Do we share this same passion? Do we feel a thrill at the thought of gathering with other believers to worship? Or do we find ourselves reluctant and unenthusiastic? Our desire for God’s house and His Word is a direct reflection of our true desire for our own salvation.
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2. A Deep Hunger for His Presence
In Psalm 42:1-2, the Psalmist uses a powerful metaphor: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." This image of a hunted, thirsty deer captures a desperate, life-sustaining need.
Just as a deer longs for water to survive, our souls should have an overwhelming thirst for God. Is our desire for God as urgent as a desperate thirst? Do we relentlessly pursue Him, knowing that He alone can give us the living water that quenches all our spiritual needs? Jesus said that He is that living water, and that whoever drinks of Him will never thirst again (John 4:13-14).
3. A Craving for His Word
The Psalmist also expressed an intense desire for God's commandments, saying, "I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands" (Psalm 119:131). He longed to consume God's Word as his spiritual food. The prophet Ezekiel was similarly instructed to eat a scroll given to him by God, making the Word a part of his very being (Ezekiel 2:8, 3:1-3).
We are called to be like newborns, who crave pure spiritual milk (1 Peter 2:2). Do we hunger for God’s Word? Do we eagerly study it, allowing it to nourish and strengthen our inner man? Our spiritual health is directly tied to our appetite for God's truth.
See Also
- Preaching on Romans 8:35 Who Can Separate Us from the Love of Christ?
- Preaching on Great Flood: Lessons for our Spiritual Lives
- Preaching on Oneness of the Church
A Call to Action
Our spiritual desires are not meant to be passive wishes; they are meant to drive our actions. We should:
• Seek God Diligently: As Isaiah 26:9 says, we should seek God with our whole spirit, diligently and with urgency, every day of our lives.
• Long to Hear His Word: Like the proconsul Sergius Paulus who "longed to hear the word of God" (Acts 13:7), we should always be eager to listen to and learn from His teachings.
• Strive for Spiritual Service: The desire to serve God's people is a noble one. The Bible says it is a "good work" to aspire to be a spiritual leader, such as an overseer (1 Timothy 3:1).
Conclusion
Our world tempts us to pursue material wealth and fleeting pleasures, and while it's not a sin to be prosperous, it becomes a sin when these material things replace God in our hearts.
The Bible is clear: our true happiness and eternal life are found when we redirect our longing to spiritual things. Let us not grow weary in our pursuit of God. Let us hunger for His presence, thirst for His living water, and crave His Word with all our hearts. These are the desires that will lead us home.
