JANUARY 16 - God's Longings

JANUARY 16 - God’s Longings

 

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. — ISAIAH 30:18

 

 I have longed for many things over the years. When I was a child, I longed for my daddy’s approval and praise. In high school I longed for a date on Friday night, good grades, and graduation day with a college acceptance letter. After my accident, I longed to be on my feet. My longings nowadays are often pretty mundane, such as hankering for a slice of something sweet and chocolaty after dinner.

 

Today’s verse tells us what God longs for: “The Lord longs to be gracious to you.” The word longing is only used this way twice in Scripture — the other time is when Jesus longed to gather the people of Jerusalem under his wings. Notice something about God’s longings? They are focused not on things but on people. His yearnings are never directed inward or self-focused; they are outward. Never does he express a longing to benefit himself. His heart’s desire is to benefit his people that they might glorify him.

 

Oh, how different my yearnings are from God’s! Too often my desires are about what I want rather than what I desire to see happen in others. How often do I actually yearn for God to be glorified and his kingdom advanced?

 

The journey of the Chris tian is to strive to be more and more like God. Take a giant step in that direction today by asking the Lord to cleanse and refine your longings. A good place to begin is with James 4:8 (KJV) where it says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

 

Purify my heart, O God, and place within me a passionate longing to know you better and to look out for the interests of others before my own. I long for you to be glorified in my life. I desire for your gospel to go forth into the world. I long for your soon return!