Must Have God! (Hunger for Heaven - Part 1/4)

Hey all! This post will be the first in a series called "Hunger for Heaven" that will cover what I learned from my most recent Bible study on longing. You can read the intro to this series here. I said this in the introduction, but I wanted to put this disclaimer here as well:

I am merely a studier of the Word. I am no expert, and I'm certainly not God! Although I enjoy sharing my insights, I certainly do not understand everything, or believe that I am necessarily right on everything I do understand. Even if I quote well-known theologians, such as Matthew Henry or John Piper, don't just believe it! I'd encourage you to take everything with a grain of salt, and go look it up in the Word, because God's Love Letter is the only written word in which we can trust completely!!

So, let's get started! :)

As I said in the intro, I want to long after God more, and not just at random points, but all the time! If I'm going to be rid of the selfish longings and passions of my fleshly heart, I need to fill it with something else - a longing for my Lover, King, Savior, Priest, Father, and His commands - which are always best. But how? That's where we have to turn to the Word.

King David was called a man after God's own heart, and part of this was portrayed in his longing for God. Psalm 63 is an excellent example of David's longing, and what ours should look like. (click here to read the whole Psalm in your preferred translation. I will be using NIV) It starts out:

"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water." ~ vs.1

In context, David is probably referring to his current situation in the Desert of Judah, likely during his flight from Absalom. So it's interesting to note here that David is not asking for provision, refuge, or defeat of his enemies (yet) as we see in other Psalms. No, he's specifically expressing his longing and searching for God! And the words "whole being" really seem to imply that it isn't just David's soul and/or spirit that is engaged, but his everything - mind and body included.

But my favorite part of the verse is how David uses the desert as a metaphor to say - "like my body needs and longs for water when its hot and dehydrated, so I need and long for you!"

Pause a moment and think about the hottest day you can remember being outside. You're soaked with sweat - droplets roll down your neck, back, legs, and into your eyes. The inside of your mouth is cracked and parched like a desert, and you desperately try to create some saliva to banish that painful lump at the back of your throat. As your head throbs and your face burns with warmth, there is only one thought that races through your mind - Must...have...water.

This how David pictures himself longing for God. It's incredible!!!

Here are some other ways that David characterizes his longing for God:

  • "Your love is better than life" ~ vs. 3
  • "I will be fully satisfied as with the richest foods" ~ vs. 5a
  • "On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night" ~ vs.7a
  • "I cling to you; your right hand upholds me" ~ vs. 8
  • David sings praises with rejoicing ~ vs. 3, 4, 5, 7, 11

So, now that we have a pretty good picture of what our longing for God should look like, it's time to ask ourselves some possibly painful questions:

  • When I am spiritually, emotionally, or even physically dry, what do I turn to? Is my first thought "Must have God"? Or is it "must have food" or "must have that new movie"?
  • Is God's love better and more pleasurable than anything else in my life?
  • Am I satisfied when spending time with God more than when eating my favorite food?
  • What is on my mind when I get into bed at night? Is it my heavenly Father?
  • Do I cling to God when I'm in trouble, or do I trust in the foundations (family, friends, wealth, status, etc.) that God has blessed me with?
  • When I sing to God in worship, is my heart rejoicing, or is my mind and heart focused on other things, like how I sound to the people standing around me, or trying to conjure up some "warm and fuzzies"?

Honestly, I cannot answer all these questions as favorably as I'd like. But with the Lord's help and power to grow and change me, I pray that one day I will be able to say, like David - "my whole being longs for you."

~~~~~


In Christ,
Ellie

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